Chapter 62: Plunder

“What are you doing? You weren't like this a moment ago,” Xu Yang said calmly.

Fang Yin wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling extremely distressed. If he had known how powerful Xu Yang was earlier, he would never have adopted that attitude.

“My lord, I apologize for my previous offense. I humbly beg your forgiveness,” Fang Yin said, trembling.

Xu Yang nodded. “Alright, I understand. Now tell me, what do you want now?”

“I came specifically to beg for your forgiveness, my lord,” Fang Yin replied.

Xu Yang sneered, “Heh heh, what crime have you committed?”

Fang Yin's cold sweat intensified. Xu Yang's words were clearly sarcastic.

“The crime of disrespect earlier,” Fang Yin said after a moment's thought.

“Heh, let's put aside this 'crime of disrespect' for now. Let's first talk about this demon beast,” Xu Yang said coldly, pointing at the dead Skyfiend Dragon.

Fang Yin's heart sank, his vision blurred, and he nearly fainted. His greatest fear now was Xu Yang investigating the Skyfiend Dragon incident. They were genuinely guilty regarding the Skyfiend Dragon, having released it almost against the world's natural order. Furthermore, the Skyfiend Dragon was not truly under the control of their Demonic Cloud Sect; it was merely a temporary arrangement, a transaction between the sect and the beast.

“This, this, we only intended for the Skyfiend Dragon to serve as our guardian spiritual beast, with no other intentions,” Fang Yin said, sounding a bit guilty.

“Is that so?” Xu Yang sneered again, noncommittally. “When you released the Skyfiend Dragon from its seal, did you ever consider what you would do if it lost control?” Xu Yang asked.

“Well, isn't there you, my lord?” another person weakly interjected.

Xu Yang glanced at the person and, not being in the mood to banter with them, said: “I can choose not to pursue this, but I need to visit your treasury. Is that acceptable?”

Xu Yang asked, confident that everyone understood his meaning.

Fang Yin's expression shifted repeatedly before he finally sighed and said, “Very well, as my lord commands.”

Although Fang Yin was extremely reluctant, what could he do? An elder capable of kicking the Skyfiend Dragon to death could effortlessly annihilate their Demonic Cloud Sect.

***

Guided by Fang Yin, Xu Yang entered the Demonic Cloud Sect's treasury. Indeed, it contained a considerable number of treasures. There were various spiritual swords, elixirs, cultivation techniques, and more. This was the foundation of a sect. The Demonic Cloud Sect had been passed down for over a thousand years, and it was currently at its peak, so naturally, it possessed a large number of treasures. Ten thousand years ago, Xu Yang wouldn't have even bothered to glance at these items. However, the current Demonic Cloud Sect was poor; its treasury was virtually empty. With so many disciples, how could the Demonic Cloud Sect be so impoverished?

Therefore, Xu Yang simply waved his hand and swept all the items into his storage space. Fang Yin watched his ancestors' accumulated wealth disappear, feeling enraged but daring not to speak, while still forced to maintain a bright smile. Under intense provocation, Fang Yin was overcome with anger, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

***

The next day, legends of the Demonic Cloud Sect began to spread throughout Tianwu County. This was because everyone in the Demonic Cloud Sect, from the elders to the Qi Condensation disciples, had started going down the mountain to beg for food. Xu Yang had not only emptied the Demonic Cloud Sect's treasury but had also plundered everyone in the sect, from the elders down to the Qi Condensation disciples. Even the Demonic Cloud Sect's magnificent main gate had been removed. The Demonic Cloud Sect was now truly the Beggars' Sect.

***

Upon returning to Tianlan Sect, Xu Yang immediately announced on the first day that he would bestow treasures upon the disciples and instructed them to gather in the plaza. The crowd bustled, filling the plaza, gazing up at Xu Yang on the high platform with expressions of adoration.

“Ahem, everyone, please quiet down and clear an open space. I'll place the treasures there, and you can take whatever you fancy,” Xu Yang's deep voice boomed. The center of the plaza was cleared.

With a wave of Xu Yang's hand, the treasures plundered from the Demonic Cloud Sect piled up in the center of the plaza like mountains of junk. Only the fragrant scent of elixirs and the sharp glint of weapons indicated that these were not refuse, but genuine treasures. When the disciples of Tianlan Sect saw the items in the center of the plaza, they were all stunned. There was so much! They all wondered what Elder Xu Yang had been up to.

“You Core Formation cultivators, don't be so provincial and rush to grab these. I have even better things reserved for you. For now, go maintain order. If anyone fights over them, punish those who are fighting,” Xu Yang told the Core Formation elders of Tianlan Sect. The Core Formation cultivators' faces lit up with joy. After quickly expressing their gratitude, they went to maintain order.

Ling Qingshu walked over, looking at the mountain of treasures in the plaza. “Elder, there's so much stuff. You didn't go and plunder a sect, did you?”

“That's right, I did go and plunder a sect,” Xu Yang nodded and said.

Ling Qingshu was startled. She had only said it casually, not expecting it to be true. She couldn't help but look at Xu Yang again, speechless.

“Let's go to the main gate,” Xu Yang said.

“Why are we going to the main gate?” Ling Qingshu asked, puzzled.

“Our main gate is so dilapidated it barely looks like a gate anymore. I found a rather nice one outside and brought it back. It will do for now.”

Ling Qingshu looked at Xu Yang with a strange expression. If she hadn't misunderstood, Elder Xu Yang had apparently snatched a main gate from somewhere outside.

Xu Yang arrived at the Tianlan Sect's main gate, uprooted and discarded the old, dilapidated one, then placed the gate he had taken from the Demonic Cloud Sect in its place. Instantly, with the addition of the magnificent main gate, the entire aura of the Tianlan Sect changed.

“Elder Xu Yang, the name 'Demonic Cloud Sect' is written on this gate,” Ling Qingshu said, looking at the gate with a wry smile.

Xu Yang frowned, leaped into the air, a spiritual sword appearing in his hand. A flash of white sword light later, the three characters “Demonic Cloud Sect” were neatly sliced off by Xu Yang. Then, holding the spiritual sword, he made graceful, powerful strokes on the gate, carving the characters “Tianlan Sect.”

Xu Yang landed, sheathed his sword, and looking at the characters on the gate, he smiled faintly and said, “Ling Qingshu, what do you think of the calligraphy?”

Ling Qingshu looked. At first glance, she didn't notice anything special, but the more she looked, the more alarmed she felt, as if something was squeezing her heart, making it difficult to breathe.