Chapter 614: Dark Clouds Gathering

Rumors say that to open the entrance to the Immortal-Demon Battlefield, nine immortals must be in different locations, simultaneously infusing it with the power of their immortal essence. Adding Su Che, the key figure with his unique opportunities, brings the total to ten.
Ten represents perfection—the ultimate number for entering the Immortal-Demon Battlefield; one more person is not allowed. Of course, this is just a rumor. No one present has ever entered the battlefield, so everything is based on hearsay, and we can only make inferences from rumors and conventions.
In short, the best scenario is to select nine most suitable individuals who, along with Su Che, embark on the quest to find the Immortal-Demon Battlefield. Any extra person could trigger unpredictable changes, ruining all hopes.
With thirty-four people present, excluding Su Che and the Master of the Absolute Dust Valley, the task at hand is to choose these nine most suitable ones from the thirty-two old monsters. Undoubtedly, this selection process will be full of conflicts and may even lead to a fierce life-and-death struggle.
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and no one wants to give it up. Everyone wants a spot, so those who lose the competition might think, “If I can’t have it, you won’t either!”
Whether it’s turning against each other openly or plotting behind the scenes, these old monsters are no ordinary people—they can cause great trouble for others.
Su Che’s decision is to remain neutral and avoid offending anyone. After all, these old monsters are strangers to him; who wins or loses doesn’t really concern him.
Of course, Su Che knows that staying neutral might be difficult. His biggest fear is that these thirty-some people will form factions, forcing him to take a side. If he chooses Team A, he’ll offend Team B, Team C, and even Team D…
Lao He suggested, “Since that guy from the Absolute Dust Valley wants to act as a witness, why not let him take charge of offending others?”
“No,” Su Che replied firmly. “I don’t trust him!”
He had not the slightest trust in someone like the Master of the Absolute Dust Valley. In fact, he doubted even the claim that he must return to the Immortal Realm within fifty years by at least seventy percent.

“Nothing spoken by such a person can be trusted; who knows what schemes he has in mind?” Su Che sneered inwardly. “I’d rather swallow the bitter wine I’ve brewed myself than accept anything handled by him.”
“That’s true,” Old Hei nodded. “The master has indeed thought things through.”
At that moment, the Master of Juechen Valley spoke loudly, “According to rumors, it’s best not to have more than ten people when exploring the Immortal-Demon Battlefield. Aside from Tianyu, how should we choose the other nine? Do anyone have any suggestions?”
As soon as these words were spoken, someone said in a hoarse voice, “No matter how we decide, I must be included. Otherwise, I’ll do anything!”
The speaker was that old monster enveloped in blood mist, radiating an aura of ‘keep away’. He called himself ‘Blood Fiend’. Just by speaking, he exuded extreme murderous intent, likely following the path of slaughter.
A few years ago, when Su Che first met him, he had thought the same: if his Purple Crystal Long Blade fell into such a person’s hands, combined with the primal power of slaughter, it could create an unstoppable killing force.
As soon as Blood Fiend’s threatening words were spoken, three completely different reactions arose. Some snorted disdainfully or gave him scornful looks, showing disgust; others agreed, clearly saying, “If you won’t let me go, then no one else should either!”
A few of the most gloomy old monsters remained unmoved, silent, with not even the slightest change in expression.
The Master of Juechen Valley waved his hand smilingly and said, “There’s no need to rush and say such things. After all, we still have decades to decide this. We can take our time, right?”
Blood Fiend’s reply was as direct and sharp as ever: “It doesn’t matter how we consider it. Anyway, the Immortal-Demon Battlefield is extremely important to me. Anyone who opposes me on this matter will become my mortal enemy. I, Blood Fiend, follow the path of slaughter. The thing I fear least is death!”
The path of slaughter proves one’s worth through killing. One need not fear killing, nor should one fear being killed. If one harbors fear, it means they’ve abandoned their path—living is tantamount to death.
It can be said that generally, mentally healthy people wouldn’t choose such an extreme path. Thus, those who follow the path of slaughter are often labeled as ‘freaks’: Blood Madman, Sword Madman, or Martial Madman, and so on.
Since they’re freaks, anything they say or do is not surprising.

Without a doubt, if anyone present dared to say something like “kick Blood Fiend out” in front of him, he would act immediately, without the slightest hesitation, and his actions would be relentless. Only other madmen would dare to provoke such a man. Fortunately, it seemed he was the only madman there; the others could keep their composure and had no intention of starting a fight right away. At that moment, Young Master Yun Shan said with a smile, “The three of us are quite close to Tian Yu. It’s only natural for us to help him explore the battlefield between immortals and demons. Our group still needs six like-minded cultivators. Those who are interested can send us a message privately, and we can discuss it further.” Hei Ya and Lao Niu, standing beside him, nodded silently. Young Master Yun Shan’s words effectively pushed the situation into a phase of forming factions. However, this wasn’t hasty—it carried great advantages. By using Su Che’s name, he gave his trio the appearance of a “regular army,” thus gaining an edge. From this point on, many would surely send him messages asking to join. “That’s what a smart person does!” Although Su Che was somewhat dissatisfied that he was highlighted so early, he had to admit that forming factions was inevitable. Young Master Yun Shan had seen this clearly and seized the opportunity first. With this advantage, he could act with ease, even resorting to tactics like sowing discord or using spies to plant one or two informants in other teams that were about to be formed… Su Che even imagined that Young Master Yun Shan might negotiate with others: “Form your own team and join mine to attack another team. After winning, we can arrange more duels to eliminate the weak from each team. Finally, the survivors of our two teams can merge to form the strongest, ultimate team of nine…” The cunning tactics he could think of, those old foxes could devise even better, even more vicious and thorough!