Fate-Defying Demon Emperor-Chapter 253 - 240: Hypocritical Villain

The Sect Master Hall was where the upper echelon of the Seven Stars Sect discussed major affairs, and this was Su Han's first time visiting. The resplendent golden palace sat atop the highest peak, wreathed in clouds and mist. It was a vision of beauty and splendor, occasionally illuminated by rosy clouds.

When Su Han and Lei Ming arrived, people were already waiting inside. Leading them was Ye Chuanfeng, a tall man dressed in gray. His attire appeared simple, but the gray robe was actually a Supreme Grade Dao Artifact. As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and this choice revealed his hypocritical nature; he was not what he seemed. Flanking Ye Chuanfeng stood the five remaining Supreme Realm elders of the Seven Stars Sect, who were also the Peak Masters of the five Spirit Peaks other than Tianxuan Peak and Yaoguang Peak.

"This must be Su Han. A hero emerging from the youth, indeed. Excellent, truly excellent."

Ye Chuanfeng ignored Lei Ming, his eyes lighting up the moment he saw Su Han. He strode forward quickly, his expression one of excitement and a desperate thirst for talent, as if he were truly a sage who honored the virtuous.

"Su Han pays his respects to Elder Ye and the other elders!" Su Han clasped his fists in salute, neither haughty nor humble.

"Good! You are worthy of being a prodigy of our Seven Stars Sect. With a peerless talent like you, how could our sect ever worry about its future growth? The Heavenly Demon Cult's recent sneak attack caused us to suffer grievous losses, and this is a debt that must be repaid. Once our forces are prepared, we will march upon the Heavenly Demon Cult and settle the score."

Ye Chuanfeng spoke with great passion, painting a grand blueprint for the future. The other five elders were sycophantic, chiming in with praise for Ye Chuanfeng's words and pledging to follow him.

It seemed Ye Chuanfeng had already won many over to his side. In the current Seven Stars Sect, perhaps only a handful of people like Su Han and Lei Ming still opposed him. With Mu Qingyun dead, the position of Sect Master would likely soon fall to Ye Chuanfeng. However, today's discussion was not about the Sect Master's position but about matters concerning Su Han.

"Su Han, you performed exceptionally well this time. By launching a sneak attack on the Heavenly Demon Cult's lair, you prevented them from attending to both fronts and played a decisive role in our victory."

"Now that Senior Brother Mu has sacrificed himself, I am temporarily serving as Acting Sect Master. After consulting with the other elders, we have decided to name you the Grand Senior Brother of the Seven Stars Sect. You will lead all disciples and may also participate in discussions on the sect's major affairs."

Ye Chuanfeng needed to win Su Han over, so he naturally had to offer some benefits. This title of Grand Senior Brother was the carrot he dangled. After all, it was a mere title that cost no treasures and could win someone's loyalty. Why wouldn't he do it?

"Su Han, this is a joyous occasion! Why haven't you thanked the Sect Master?" Elder Qian of Kaiyang Peak prompted, clapping his hands.

He had been Yun Mokong's master, but now he was a loyal subordinate to Ye Chuanfeng, following his lead in all things.

"Many thanks, Elder Ye!" Su Han naturally wouldn't call him Sect Master directly, but he couldn't refuse the title Ye Chuanfeng was offering. As for what came next... he would deal with that later.

"Su Han, the Seven Stars Sect is currently in a state of rebuilding, so the ceremony for the Grand Senior Brother will be kept simple for now. Once we have annihilated the Heavenly Demon Cult, I will be sure to hold a grand ceremony for you to make up for it."

As Ye Chuanfeng spoke, he reached into his Storage Ring and retrieved a Treasure Bead. It was a lustrous, milky-white orb, perfectly round and clearly extraordinary.

"This is a Spirit-Gathering Dao Bead. If you wear it, it can double the speed at which you absorb Spiritual Energy. Consider it a gift from me!"

This Spirit-Gathering Dao Bead was actually a Superior Grade Dao Artifact. Ye Chuanfeng was truly sparing no effort to win Su Han over. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"A gift from an elder cannot be refused. Thank you for this treasure, Elder Ye!"

Su Han accepted the Spirit-Gathering Dao Bead. A free treasure was not to be refused; selling it at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion would fetch a good sum of Spirit Stones, so he had no reason to decline. Besides, while Ye Chuanfeng was selfish, Su Han was happy to play along with this charade as long as the man wasn't plotting against him.

With the enticements of the Grand Senior Brother title and the Spirit-Gathering Dao Bead offered, Ye Chuanfeng moved on to his true purpose.

"Su Han, your raid on the Heavenly Demon Cult's lair was a great success. Could you share the details of the process with us?"

Ye Chuanfeng was genuinely curious. How could a mere Physique Realm cultivator like Su Han have managed to infiltrate the Heavenly Demon Cult, empty its treasury, destroy its Spirit Vein, kill its disciples, and then escape from the clutches of the Seven Injuries Devil Honorable? What puzzled him most was how Su Han had escaped the Heavenly Demon Cult's seemingly inescapable dragnet. The escape had been so clean that even he hadn't noticed it. If Elder Qian and the others hadn't sent him a message, he would still be in the dark.

"It wasn't too difficult, actually. I once received an inheritance from an Array Master, so I have some understanding of formations..."

Su Han had long prepared his story, and it was airtight. He had, in fact, received an inheritance related to formations, so he wasn't worried about Ye Chuanfeng and the others being suspicious.

Hearing Su Han's description, Ye Chuanfeng and the others were shocked. The path of formations required not only incredible innate talent but also guidance from an esteemed teacher, years of practice, and constant experimentation. The four great arts—Alchemy, Talisman Crafting, Formations, and Artifact Refining—each demanded immense Heart Spirit and effort. This was precisely why Alchemists, Artifact Refiners, and their peers held a higher status than ordinary martial artists.

They had never imagined that Su Han would possess such profound Formation Mastery. He had even repaired parts of the Big Dipper Formation right before their eyes.

"The younger generation is truly formidable! I never expected you to be not only a martial arts genius but also a prodigy of formations. Good, this is excellent!"

Ye Chuanfeng's eyes gleamed as he looked at Su Han as if he were a priceless treasure.

The greater Su Han's talent and strength, the more the Tian Luo Saint Heir would favor him. As long as Ye Chuanfeng maintained a good relationship with Su Han, then once Su Han became a follower of the Tian Luo Saint Heir, he would reap the benefits in return, securing even greater gains for himself.

Personal gain was the fundamental driver behind all of Ye Chuanfeng's actions.

"By the way, you emptied the Demon Cult's treasury. May I ask where those treasures are now?"

Ye Chuanfeng had hoped to trick Su Han into handing over the treasures, but he was a step too late.

"I've already sold those treasures to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion in exchange for cultivation resources, most of which have already been used."

This was the truth, so Su Han wasn't afraid of them checking with the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

"I heard that the Heavenly Demon Cult's treasury contained the skeleton of a Suan Ni descendant. Such a relic can be used to forge a Holy Artifact. Did you see it?" Ye Chuanfeng pressed on, unwilling to give up.

"I traded it at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion for a Holy Medicine, which has already been refined by my master."

Su Han's words made Ye Chuanfeng want to spit blood. He carefully scanned Lei Ming and did indeed sense the lingering aura of a Holy Medicine on him. This confirmed Su Han was not lying. However, this meant his plan to swindle the treasures had failed.

No, I can't leave empty-handed. I have to find a way to get something out of this.

Ye Chuanfeng's eyes narrowed slightly as a plan formed in his mind. He then turned to Lei Ming.

"Junior Brother Lei," he said, "I hear that you and Junior Sister Liu took people into the Spirit Marrow Pool without authorization and drained the entire Spirit Vein. What punishment do you believe you deserve for such a crime?"