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(Secret Headquarters Of The Crimson Demon Sect)-

(Hidden Mountain Range- Temple of Agar)

In the middle of a dense forest, an ancient temple emerged from between the trees like a forgotten relic of a time long ago.

Its exterior was heavily damaged and weathered by the elements and yet it had not crumbled, and its foundations were still strong.

Dark grey walls surrounded the temple on all sides and each wall was covered with carvings of horrific monsters, strange beasts and men smiling with wide open mouths.

The temple was usually nestled away deep inside the forest. 

Abandoned and deserted as if it had been forgotten by the outside world. 

Its only visitors were the animals nearby and the monsters that occasionally sought out shelter beneath its walls.

But that was not the case today.

The air around the temple crackled with excitement as thousands of demon cultivators surrounded the temple.

Almost the entire population of the sect was here today. 

From the young to the old, from the outer disciples to the true disciples and everyone in between.

Some were on the ground while others were hovering in the air using their swords, mounts, or floating techniques.

Each cultivator was clad in the ceremonial robes of the succession ceremony. They wore long black robes with golden threads woven into the edges of the fabric.

A large crimson eye was painted onto the back of each robe using a rare technique that caused the illusion that the eye winked whenever the wind caused the robes to rustle slightly.

Hushed conversations could be heard as the disciples huddled around their friends and eagerly discussed the upcoming ceremony.

"Have you seen the successor?"

"No… I heard that she has not stepped one foot outside of her private residence…. Apparently, Mei Ling went to challenge her in advance, but no one answered her call."

"Mei Ling? The apprentice of the pleasure witch?"

"Keep your voice down! She hates it when you call her master that name… listen bro… that lady is dangerous."

"Alright I got it… so do you think she has a chance to win? I mean… has anyone seen the successor fight?"

A few hundred meters away a young woman with clear eyes twitched irritably as she heard the gossips of the nearby disciples.

A long sword was attached to her hip, and it was securely fastened by a sheath that had been made from simple leather.

Mei Ling frowned slightly as she looked around and could not see the successor anywhere. 

She already knew what the mysterious woman looked like, but no one knew what lay under that mask.

Well… she supposed that it did not matter.

Regardless of who or what was under that mask, she needed to defeat them and be crowned as the next successor to the Crimson Demon Sect.

That was the only way to restore her master\'s reputation and bring back honour and dignity to their peak.

Mei Ling was not the only one feeling a burning desire to win because on the opposite side of the temple an extremely handsome young man leaned against a nearby tree.

His fiery red hair had been tied into a neat ponytail and his facial hair had been cleanly shaved and maintained to keep his appearance flawless.

He was surrounded by dozens of lovestruck female disciples who swooned over him as he smiled and chatted with them politely.

"Guo Rui I\'ll be cheering for you!" one of the female disciples screamed loudly as she clenched her fist together.

"You will be the next successor!"

"No, I believe in you more!" another quickly shouted determined not to be outdone by her companion.

"You bitch! I said it first!" the first female disciple yelled.

"Ladies… ladies…" Guo Rui chuckled lightly as he strode towards the bickering pair and wrapped his arms around them both.

"There is enough of me to go around."

The two female disciples in his arms immediately flushed red with excitement and the others nearby watched on with jealousy clearly visible on their faces.

Guo Rui continued to make small talk with his group of fans, but his eyes constantly scanned the crowd to see when the successor would arrive.

His eyes flashed crimson as a surge of hatred filled his heart. He was the one who was supposed to be chosen.

Not some random nobody who showed up one day and was immediately picked as the future leader of the sect.

It was not fair!

He was the strongest. He deserved the position!

Guo Rui scowled ever so slightly as his fingers drifted to the pair of knives securely tucked inside the pockets of his robe.

That mysterious woman better pray that she did not encounter him during the ritual, otherwise she would not be making it out of the temple alive.

Around twenty more minutes passed, and the sun was now beginning to sink towards the horizon. 

The dense forest was bathed in a warm and comfortable orange glow and the temple suddenly seemed a lot less ominous.

More disciples joined the waiting crowd, and the atmosphere was one of anticipation which only grew stronger as the minutes passed.

Suddenly a loud neighing sound echoed through the forest.

A hush fell over the gathered demon cultivators as everyone turned towards the direction of the unexpected noise.

A powerful gust of wind swept through the forest and the scent of burning flesh stung the noses of all who breathed in.

Someone gasped in shock and soon others stared in disbelief at the strange sight before their eyes.

A young woman wearing long dark robes emerged from a pool of swirling darkness while riding a four-legged beast.

The coat of the beast was as dark as the deepest depths of the abyss and was quite the sight to witness.

It vaguely resembled a horse except its body was covered in heavy armour that concealed the inky blackness that lay beneath.

Its eyes were the colour of burning embers and exuded a sense of wisdom and intelligence.

Everyone knew who this woman was.

The successor.

They recognised her by the overwhelming aura that surrounded her body and the silvery grey mask that covered her face.

Portraits of the mask on her face had already circulated around the sect as the disciples who had seen her spread the news fairly quickly.

Xu Lu dismounted the beast and gentle stroked the top of its head. The beast brushed against her shoulder lightly and then stepped back into the swirling portal.

The former saintess of the Holy Sword Sect stood tall and walked with quiet confidence through the crowd.

Her aura was enough for the crowd to part around her, so a clear path was formed that led directly to the entrance of the temple.

Xu Lu could feel the thousands of eyes resting on her body and there was a wide range of emotions behind each stare.

Curiosity, anger, hatred, excitement, anticipation, joy… desire.

Still, she gave no indication that she cared about the looks or the thoughts of others. She just kept walking with the same slow and steady pace.

In a few moments, she would be fighting for her life.