Chapter 156: Betrayal

Chapter 156: Betrayal

Snake Prison Mountain lay within the territory of Genzhou, a land forsaken by sunlight, where only endless darkness reigned.

Demon Lord Fentian had decreed a sacrifice of one hundred cultivators' blood to the Demon God. No sooner had the command been issued than his demonic legions sprang into action. Within days, the sacrificial altar and ritual array were meticulously prepared.

The Demon and Immortal Clans had been locked in centuries of bitter conflict, their animosity running deep. Naturally, the demons eagerly anticipated this ceremony.

Thus, on the day of the sacrifice, hordes of demons swarmed Snake Prison Mountain at dawn.

Chou Qianling walked among the line of hostages. As she surveyed her surroundings, she saw the mountain's base teeming with horned demons, their demonic aura surging skyward.

Genzhou was already cloaked in demonic energy, its sky a gloomy, oppressive expanse. Even sunlight struggled to pierce this suffocating pall of death. Coupled with the oppressive aura emanating from the demons, Chou Qianling, despite having attained the Nascent Soul Realm, found it difficult to breathe.

If Chou Qianling felt such distress, the other cultivators were undoubtedly suffering even more.

The demonic patches on Ge Fuling's arms had spread to her neck. She clutched her demon-shrouding robe tighter, her body swaying precariously as if on the verge of collapse.

Chou Qianling cast a fleeting glance at her, a slight frown creasing her brow. She hoped Ge Fuling could endure until the end of the ceremony; any disruption to her plan was unwelcome.

Fortunately, the journey proceeded without incident. Ge Fuling, after all, was a cultivator at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage and should be able to withstand this level of demonic energy's erosion.

Soon, Chou Qianling spotted the towering sacrificial altar at the entrance to Snake Prison Mountain.

In front of the altar stood two fire pillars, nearly twice a person's height. Their fiercely burning flames cast a brilliant light across the square beneath the dark sky. Demons had already formed orderly ranks around it, a dense, undulating sea of heads. However, a square-shaped area to the south of the altar remained conspicuously empty.

As Chou Qianling drew closer, she realized that a colossal blood array had been meticulously drawn on that vacant ground, comprising ten rows and ten columns, precisely sized to accommodate one hundred cultivators.

The crimson patterns pulsed with an eerie red glow, an impactful sight that sent shivers down the cultivators' spines.

Chou Qianling observed that all the array patterns converged at a single point, snaking like a serpent up to the altar's center.

At the very heart of the altar stood a majestic stone statue of the Demon God, over ten feet tall, with a demonic body and a serpent's tail, its arms raised high as if summoning the very forces of heaven and earth. Its head was bowed slightly, its eyes gazing down upon the demons in the square—the left eye cold and ruthless, the right eye compassionate, embodying both destruction and creation. It inspired such profound fear and awe that none dared meet its gaze directly.

Before the Demon God's statue, five obsidian lotus seats were arranged. Three Demon Kings were already seated upon them.

Chou Qianling had learned about these three from Ying Huang.

The one shrouded in white mist, their face obscured, was the Mist Sea Demon Lord. The one with a cold, unfeeling demeanor, whose lotus seat was even encrusted with frost, was the Frost Ember Demon King. And the one with a faint blue soul fire flickering between their brows was the Soul Truth Demon Lord.

According to Ying Huang, these three were privy to their plan but would not assist them in usurping the Demon Lord's position.

By demonic law, the Demon Clan could only be led by the strongest. Until she proved her might by defeating Fentian, they would not pledge their allegiance.

These Demon Kings were indeed stubbornly rigid.

Fortunately, while they wouldn't offer aid, they also wouldn't warn Fentian, choosing instead to remain neutral observers.

That was sufficient.

Chou Qianling clenched her fist, her eyes gleaming with unwavering resolve. Once she acquired Fentian's cultivation, no one in this world would be able to stop her!

In the brief moment she was lost in thought, the other cultivators were forcibly herded into the array by the demons.

Some cultivators, seemingly discerning the sinister plot behind the blood array, were furious and attempted to resist. However, recalling the Demon Lord's brutal reputation and Ying Huang's stern warnings, they ultimately complied and stepped inside.

Chou Qianling followed, noticing that only the foremost spot in the array remained empty. After all, that position was too close to the altar and appeared perilous; no one wished to stand there.

She, however, didn't mind. Standing at the front would facilitate her actions, wouldn't it?

According to their plan, Demon Lord Fentian would personally activate this Spirit-Binding Sacrificial Blood Array. As long as they seized the opportune moment and swiftly transformed into demons beforehand, they would remain unharmed.

This array was designed to inflict damage only upon the Immortal Clan. If demons were present within the array, it would instead backfire upon the activator.

Thus, entering the blood array was an integral part of the plan. Though the risk was substantial, the potential rewards were even greater.

Chou Qianling navigated through the crowd and took her place in the front row. Turning her head, she saw Ge Fuling's almost deathly pale face.

Ge Fuling was unaware that this was a sacrifice to the Demon God. From the outset, the Immortal Clan had merely told them they were being sent to serve the Demon Lord.

She had initially believed she would behold the legendary Demon Lord in person. But now, confronted with this ominous blood array, even someone as naive as her understood that whatever awaited them was certainly not good.

What heightened her anxiety was that all the other cultivators possessed heart's blood capable of transforming them into demons, a means to preserve their lives in critical moments. She alone lacked this.

Did this not mean she was doomed?

No, she had to devise a way to save herself. Whether by seizing someone else's heart's blood or by any other means, she *had* to survive!

Ge Fuling's eyes darted about as she frantically pondered. Suddenly, she met Chou Qianling's probing gaze, which startled her. She quickly averted her face and lowered her eyelids.

Chou Qianling withdrew her scrutinizing gaze. She had merely been concerned that Ge Fuling might collapse and disrupt the plan, which was why she had paid her extra attention.

However, seeing that Ge Fuling still possessed the energy for such anxious thoughts, it seemed her worries were unfounded.

Although she disliked Ge Fuling intensely, she didn't wish to see her die. When the array activated, she would simply push her out of harm's way beforehand.

By now, Ying Huang had ascended the platform and taken her seat. The attending demon guards pressed their fists to their chests and bowed in salute.

Chou Qianling cast a glance at the altar, noting that Ying Huang wore a red robe today, cinched at the waist with a leather belt. A fiery phoenix, embroidered with gold and silver threads, shimmered with a magnificent luster under the firelight.

Her red hair was tied high, and she seemed enveloped in the glow of the flames. Her usually composed demeanor now exuded a strange wildness and fervent passion.

Chou Qianling found it slightly peculiar. Why draw so much attention? Was it to divert Fentian's gaze?

As she pondered, a sudden commotion erupted among the demonic throng. Following their gazes, she saw a black figure cleaving through the sky, landing steadily upon the altar.

This was the first, and only, male demon Chou Qianling had encountered since her arrival in the demon realm.

He wore a half-mask, his crimson eyes suppressing a restless madness. Draped in a wide robe embroidered with black patterns, he exuded an eerie and chilling aura.

The demons below the altar knelt in unison, their voices thundering, "Hail Demon Lord!"

The four Demon Kings also rose and bowed slightly in salute.

Chou Qianling's heart instantly leaped into her throat. This was Fentian? He seemed even more terrifying than she had imagined.

But why did he wear a mask, just like her master? It couldn't be because he was too unsightly, could it?

Suddenly, she felt Fentian's gaze fall upon her. His eyes were exceptionally terrifying, carrying a hint of scrutiny that sent shivers down her spine.

Chou Qianling frowned. How could he pinpoint her so accurately amidst the crowd? Had their plan been compromised? Who could have leaked the secret?

She tried to calmly analyze the situation when she saw Fentian descend from the altar and walk towards them, stopping directly in front of her.

Chou Qianling was startled, almost summoning her blood blade. She clenched her fist tightly, suppressing the blood-red glow in her palm.

Fentian addressed her, "What is your name?"

Chou Qianling was bewildered. What was this person's intention? She decided to answer cautiously first to discern his motives.

"Chou Qianling."

"Chou Qianling."

Fentian repeated the name she had spoken.

He had spent the past few days in the Demon Lord's hall, battling the malevolent bone within him that sought to control him. His mental state fluctuating, he had forgotten about this person.

Unexpectedly, upon their reunion, she stood within the blood array as a sacrifice to the Demon God.

Should he save her? Or perhaps transform her into a demon instead?

For the first time in his life, Fentian felt his resolve waver. His mind was deeply troubled, and the rage in his eyes was almost impossible to suppress.

Indeed, such an unsettling presence—it would be better to simply eliminate her.

Considering she had helped him in his youth, he would remember her name, but that would be the extent of it.

He reached out to seize Chou Qianling by the neck, but halfway there, he changed his mind and instead seized the neck of the cultivator standing next to her.

Ge Fuling immediately shrieked, "No—! Don't kill me! Lord Fentian, I have something to say! Ying Huang gave them heart's blood, planning to turn them into demons to rebel against you!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Fentian released his grip.

Chou Qianling, who had been about to intervene, instantly blanched.

The other cultivators gasped in shock, "We're doomed—Ge Fuling betrayed us!"

Ge Fuling collapsed to the ground, coughing repeatedly as she clutched her neck. Yet, a wave of fierce triumph surged in her eyes—she had survived!

Looking up and seeing the panic and fear on everyone's faces, a surge of satisfaction welled within her. They should have anticipated this day when they isolated and bullied her.

Since they had never truly accepted her, what right did they have to demand her loyalty?

Chou Qianling glared fiercely at Ge Fuling. She should have known this woman would ruin everything. Her and Ying Huang's plans were completely disrupted by Ge Fuling's betrayal!

There was no choice but to initiate the cultivators' transformation into demons prematurely.

However, it was already too late.

Fentian had already discerned their scheme. He let out a cold laugh, "Ying Huang, you possess quite the audacity, daring to plot against me?"

The moment he spoke, a powerful energy erupted from Fentian, instantly activating the blood ritual array beneath their feet.

In an instant, a crimson light flared, and the dense demonic energy in the air surged wildly into the array. Within moments, it condensed into thick chains of dark energy that coiled toward the cultivators.

The cultivators immediately produced vials of heart's blood, intending to draw demonic sigils on their arms, but in the next moment, the chains of dark energy entangled their limbs, rendering them immobile.

Even more terrifying, they felt their spiritual power rapidly draining—the array was absorbing their spiritual energy and cultivation.

The chains of dark energy also entangled Chou Qianling's limbs. She narrowed her eyes slightly, then summoned her blood-red blade. With a sharp *whoosh*, the flames emanating from the blade instantly reduced the chains of dark energy to ashes.

Gripping the hilt tightly, she pointed the blade directly at Fentian, her voice cold and resolute, "Today, I, Chou Qianling, challenge your right to be Demon Lord!"