Cherreads

Chapter 111 - The first evil cultivation sect in the Douluo Continent was born

It had to be said—the Holy Spirit Cult, though still hidden, remained a force to be reckoned with. Its outer-ring forces were numerous and quite capable.

Huo Yuhao was smuggled into Mingdu overnight without being discovered. He was then taken directly to one of the cult's local branches.

On the way, his contact gave him a brief overview of the Mingdu branch. For this, Huo Yuhao paid a century-old beast spirit as a tip.

He clearly had a good grasp of social dealings.

Within the Holy Spirit Cult, unlike the mainstream where gold soul coins were currency, beast spirits and corpses were the true hard currency used by evil soul masters.

However, Huo Yuhao was also someone who believed in the saying: "A drop of water in need should be repaid with a spring of gratitude." This time he gave a beast spirit, but next time, he'd expect full repayment.

From his contact, Huo Yuhao learned that these branches were also called "altars." Local members preferred calling them sub-altars, and the headquarters was referred to as the main altar.

There were eight sub-altars in Mingdu, but one among them stood out as the lead. Most resources were concentrated in it. It also held the complete roster of all Holy Spirit disciples and servants in Mingdu. The other sub-altars mainly functioned as resource collectors and places of worship.

Huo Yuhao understood: the other sub-altars were decoys—like hiding in multiple burrows. If uninformed enemies hit the wrong one, it would only alert the core altar and give them time to retreat or react.

Still, the most important altar didn't appear hidden; on the surface, it functioned just like the others—clearly a ruse.

However, in the original storyline, Huo Yuhao had destroyed that very altar with Nana's help. It happened to be a time when the elder in charge was away on business at the main altar with most disciples, giving Huo Yuhao the perfect opportunity.

Coincidence? Or the protagonist's plot armor?

Deception?

Completely ineffective!

Suddenly, Huo Yuhao realized something.

Wait, why am I here again?

Oh no… I've become the elder of this altar!

Very soon, Huo Yuhao was brought to that critical sub-altar—the very one destroyed in the original story. It was located in a remote corner of Mingdu, a nondescript courtyard with a black-roofed building.

According to the original, it was about half an hour's journey from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.

Before they entered, the contact offered Huo Yuhao a final word of advice—probably thanks to the beast spirit tip.

"Elder, in fact, all the Mingdu sub-altars already had an elder overseeing them. Though his cultivation doesn't match yours—only around seven rings, equivalent to a subordinate—he reportedly has backing from a main altar elder."

"Don't worry, I know," Huo Yuhao replied calmly. He realized this must be the unlucky elder who had his turf stolen in the original.

That elder's most powerful equipment was a level-seven soul device: the Holy Spirit Banner. It might handle seven-ring soul masters, but it would struggle against someone with eight rings.

Conclusion: No need to worry.

They reached the courtyard gate.

The contact knocked, but no one answered.

He frowned slightly and turned respectfully to Huo Yuhao. "Elder, we already sent word ahead."

He didn't continue, but the meaning was clear—the others were putting on airs.

He also subtly distanced himself, implying this wasn't his fault.

Huo Yuhao remained calm. He raised a fist and knocked the gate down with just enough force—not too loud or destructive.

After all, they were in hiding. Causing a scene would only risk exposing the sub-altar and, ultimately, Huo Yuhao himself.

Since the Death God Envoy was now the acting elder, the entire altar belonged to Huo Yuhao. It couldn't be allowed to fall into enemy hands.

Huo Yuhao entered first.

The contact was surprised at Huo Yuhao's forceful attitude. Technically, he could leave now and avoid any further entanglements, but after a moment's thought, he followed inside—fixing the gate behind him.

Things were getting exciting.

Well, since I'm here, might as well stay for a meal before I go.

Upon entering, a soul device activated around the courtyard, sealing it completely—preventing any intel from leaking. The courtyard had become a trap.

Huo Yuhao's eyes fell to the center of the yard.

A group of black-robed figures had gathered there—standard attire for Holy Spirit disciples, concealing their faces and figures. Around a dozen people stood in two lines.

At the very center sat a man, lounging arrogantly on a grand chair. He wore ornate black robes and a blood jade thumb ring. He had a plump figure and looked more like a rich merchant than a cult elder.

Yet, while everyone else stood, he sat in the middle—clearly not an ordinary figure. This was the original elder of the sub-altar.

Behind him stood three powerful Soul Emperors—likely the "Great," "Second," and "Third" Holy Spirits mentioned in the original text. They were his strongest subordinates.

The contact finished setting the gate upright and moved quickly to Huo Yuhao's side, wanting a front-row seat to the drama.

Then Huo Yuhao said, "Hostile intent incoming!"

"... Elder, you're the one who's arriving," the contact muttered quietly.

Huo Yuhao shot him a glance, and the contact quickly shrank back.

At that moment, the sub-altar's elder spoke with a mocking smile, eyes glinting like a wolf's.

"New Elder, smashing the gate was a bit rude, don't you think?"

The contact got excited. This elder had apparently summoned everyone. He hadn't expected such a bold play—this would be interesting.

But Huo Yuhao had no interest in playing along.

"Everyone's here? Doesn't matter if not. Since you all want to die—so be it."

Etiquette?

Can't be bothered!

Time to kill.

If they won't obey, there are plenty of others who will.

With the soul device blocking external detection, Huo Yuhao—disguised as the Death God Envoy—unleashed his martial soul.

Yellow, yellow, purple, black, purple, black, black, black!

Eight soul rings appeared, then the eighth began to glow.

"Wait! How dare you—"

The elder panicked. Things hadn't even started, and he was already under attack?

Aren't we supposed to exchange threats? Reveal backers? Trade names? Give face?

He thought his main altar backing gave him the right to act tough. Normally, no seven-ring soul master would challenge an eight-ring one unless they were insane.

But he picked the wrong opponent.

Today, Huo Yuhao was here to teach him a lesson: In life, you get many chances to choose—but some mistakes cost everything.

And the price was everyone's lives.

The contact stared wide-eyed, eager to witness the Death God Envoy's true power.

Then came a scream—and the contact blacked out.

Before losing consciousness, he heard the Death God Envoy's raspy, harsh voice:

"Eighth Soul Skill: Devil's Terror!"

The entire courtyard was engulfed. The surrounding soul devices trembled violently. Luckily, Huo Yuhao held back—otherwise the devices would've been destroyed too. No energy or sound escaped the barrier.

When the skill ended—

Only the Death God Envoy remained alive.

Everyone else had bled from their orifices—scared to death.

The elder hadn't even activated his martial soul or summoned his Holy Spirit Banner. Known for spiritual attacks, he couldn't withstand the assault and died on the spot.

Most soul masters, without their martial soul activated, are limited in defense and power.

Huo Yuhao looked at the also-dead contact and sighed, "Didn't expect you to repay the favor so quickly. Since you insist—I'll accept."

His soul flag appeared. With a casual gesture, he collected every soul present.

Then, he began soul-searching—one by one.

The corpses weren't going anywhere, but the souls would soon decay.

And don't forget—evil soul masters' souls corrupt faster, often becoming vengeful spirits. If not captured in time, they'd degrade and yield no information.

To keep the altar functioning, Huo Yuhao would shoulder the burden—listening to each soul's report, learning everything about the sub-altar.

In the end, he carried it all alone.

As for the consequences of killing so many?

Please. They joined a cult and expect politics?

If the elder backing the original one dares show up in Mingdu—

The next night, Huo Yuhao's true body will come to collect him.

"So that's how it is—the one behind this branch elder is Nangong Wan."

Through soul searching, Huo Yuhao unearthed all the secrets of the former branch elder and the others, giving him much deeper insight into the situation at the Mingdu branch.

With these memories, even without anyone else's help, Huo Yuhao could now somewhat take control of the Mingdu branch.

Naturally, he also came to understand where the branch elder's confidence had come from.

It was his powerful backer—Nangong Wan.

Nangong Wan, publicly the leader of the Mingdu Xishui Alliance, was secretly the Second Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult, a Level 93 assault-type battle soul master with the Heavenly Centipede martial soul.

It was understandable that the former branch elder would turn to Nangong Wan. After all, Nangong Wan had long operated in Mingdu, and the elder had every reason to curry favor. The saying "a current official is more useful than a distant noble" holds true in any world.

Furthermore, the Xishui Alliance under Nangong Wan's control was no simple force—it was one of the major powers in Mingdu.

In Mingdu's underworld, there were three main factions: the Xishui Alliance (the largest), the Common Alliance. Alliance, and the Alto Chamber of Commerce.

Among them, the Common Alliance. Alliance—despite its unassuming name—controlled all of Mingdu's sex industry, making it the most publicly visible of the underground forces.

The Alto Chamber of Commerce, on the other hand, operated similarly to an assassin's guild or a thieves' guild, and included various criminal organizations. They specialized in protection rackets, assassinations, theft, and other shady dealings.

Compared to them, the Xishui Alliance was far more high-end—engaging in the underground world's most lucrative trades: drugs, arms dealing, and even human trafficking.

But three tigers can't share one mountain.

The Common Alliance. Alliance and the Alto Chamber of Commerce, in an effort to oppose the Xishui Alliance, were beginning to show signs of forming an alliance. Their relationship had always been relatively close. However, since neither had backing as strong as the Xishui Alliance and their areas of operation didn't overlap much, the higher-ups had compromised to maintain peace.

So here's the question: Who's backing the Xishui Alliance?

The Holy Spirit Cult?

That's only part of it!

According to the original work, the Xishui Alliance seemed to have secret support from a royal prince.

That's right—Crown Prince Xu Tianran!

He was known to be in cahoots with the Holy Spirit Cult. Never mind when they got involved or to what extent—whenever the Cult needed a scapegoat, pinning the blame on Xu Tianran was a safe bet.

And the name "Xishui Alliance" even hints at who they're truly serving. It's basically an ID card stamped onto their organization name.

"Ye Xishui… Xishui Alliance, huh." Huo Yuhao chuckled softly.

Then he stopped thinking about it too much.

First, he needed to handle the situation with the Mingdu branch. He didn't need to worry about the Xishui Alliance or Nangong Wan just yet.

Storing away the fragments of souls, Huo Yuhao manipulated the Death Messenger to begin cleaning the battlefield.

In simple terms—looting the corpses.

The souls that had been searched were now broken and could only be used as "dog food" to feed other ghosts.

However, the Holy Spirit disciples at the Mingdu branch were quite wealthy. Not counting their hidden stashes, each one carried at least one soul tool of Level 3 or above. Even in the Sun-Moon Empire, where soul tools were relatively cheap, a Level 3+ soul tool wasn't something to scoff at.

The original branch elder, in particular, had an extremely valuable Level 7 soul tool—the Holy Spirit Banner. It wasn't just powerful; it held numerous souls and was used to control most of the Holy Servants.

There were also resources for evil soul masters—summonable skeletons, various odd items, and more.

The only pity was that the Holy Spirit disciples at the Mingdu branch weren't very strong. The branch elder was the strongest, with a Soul Sage cultivation level. There were three Soul Emperors and a number of Soul Kings.

At most, there was also a Soul Sage-level contact.

But not only were these people average in strength, their bloodlines and martial souls were unimpressive.

None of them were worthy of being refined into corpses.

"Just use them to feed the zombies," Huo Yuhao decided.

And he wouldn't spare the disciples' friends and family either—like the branch elder's mistresses and his two hidden sons.

He planned to quietly eliminate them all tomorrow.

The two original white-haired zombies still had potential for growth, and the wolf zombie needed resources to develop. The two Soul Douluo corpses that Zhongli Wu had provided before coming could also be refined into zombies.

All in all, the Death Messenger would soon be refining five zombies.

"Resources are a bit tight."

Huo Yuhao did the math and realized it was a heavy task.

Even if he scoured the place clean, he could only create five white-haired zombies—there was no way to help the two old ones advance.

Not to mention the Death Messenger himself—he was still far from becoming a fur-covered zombie (Mao Jiang).

The Death Messenger's growth consumed an absurd amount of resources.

While the Mingdu branch was wealthier, it leaned heavily toward soul tools and other items filled with the stench of money—it had none of the refined, corpse-oriented feel that the "Fragrant Corpse Sect" might've had.

Sure, money can buy anything—but going out to purchase corpses and evil soul master resources was like broadcasting: "Hey! Evil soul master here—come get me!"

Don't assume the Sun-Moon Empire turns a blind eye to evil soul masters. Their enforcement might be weak, but that's only because the Holy Spirit Cult isn't their state religion yet.

So one must use discreet, unsavory channels to obtain these resources.

That's what the previous branch elder did—he sided with the Xishui Alliance, leveraging underground connections. Most of the Holy Servants he recruited were actually reserve resources.

They'd work for the branch for a while, then get harvested once they were strong enough.

Honestly, the method wasn't very efficient—but it was safe.

As for Huo Yuhao—joining the Xishui Alliance was out of the question. After all, he had just killed Nangong Wan's subordinate, and now he was supposed to "acknowledge him as a foster father"? There's no way Nangong Wan wouldn't see that as a trap.

So Huo Yuhao had to forge his own path.

"Common Alliance. Alliance and Alto Chamber of Commerce… I guess only the Alto Chamber will do." He quickly made his decision.

The Common Alliance. Alliance ran brothels—but the Death Messenger had no use for that. The resources they offered were useless to him.

The Alto Chamber, on the other hand, did assassinations—plenty of corpses. And they had a theft business too—stealing bodies isn't a crime for them!

"I remember their president is An Litong. I'll find him sometime and see if he's interested in my line of work."

Join the Alto Chamber?

Not a chance.

They'll be joining him!

Huo Yuhao was certain—if the Death Messenger defected, even if Nangong Wan didn't retaliate, the Holy Spirit Cult would never let it go.

But if he could absorb the Alto Chamber, it would be a different story.

He'd not only be guiltless—he'd be credited with an achievement.

Even Nangong Wan might back off from provoking the Death Messenger.

Though the Alto Chamber's interests were complex, Huo Yuhao didn't need the whole thing—just the assassination and theft divisions would suffice.

He never even considered that An Litong might refuse. Because An Litong would either walk the path of the living—or the path of the dead.

"Can't ignore the Common Alliance. Alliance either. If I remember correctly, Ye Guyi is with them. That Holy Angel martial soul… it belongs to me."

After envisioning his future, Huo Yuhao continued manipulating the Death Messenger, like a diligent worker ant, erasing the traces of the branch.

From a branch elder to this… not a single one could be used.

It was enough to make one sigh.

Fortunately, although all the Holy Spirit Sect disciples were wiped out, the Holy Servants remained, and there were even more of them. There was no need to worry about Huo Yuhao being left alone in the sub-branch.

Huo Yuhao took a single day to deal with all the relatives and connections of the dead Holy Spirit disciples and former sub-branch elders, even helping them sort out their estates.

This single move earned the Death God's Emissary a windfall of over ten million gold soul coins. The haul of soul tools and various treasures was exceptionally abundant.

Mingdu was vast and densely populated. As long as things didn't get out of hand, even the quiet death of several hundred people wouldn't cause a ripple.

Moreover, Huo Yuhao acted decisively and cleaned up meticulously, leaving no trace behind—not even corpses. The targets were scattered throughout Mingdu, not concentrated in one place.

Even if someone noticed the disappearances, upon seeing the cleaned-out homes, they'd assume those people had simply moved away suddenly rather than met with foul play.

After all, apart from Huo Yuhao, no ordinary killer would bother cleaning the victim's house.

Unless someone went out of their way to gather all the files, no one would suspect that hundreds of people had "moved" simultaneously, thereby uncovering the truth.

But who would be so bored as to care that much about someone moving?

And even if they did uncover something, how many would dare to investigate further? If someone could silently deal with hundreds of people, what's to stop them from eliminating a few more—including those who discovered the issue? That hot potato would be tossed away faster than anyone could react. Who would dare hold onto it?

Even if, by some one-in-a-million chance, Huo Yuhao was exposed—

He had over a hundred ways to get out of it.

Better to worry about Nangong Wan noticing something wrong and showing up than the Sun-Moon Empire discovering anything.

So, Huo Yuhao remained calm. While continuing his corpse-refining efforts, he waited patiently for the Holy Servants' next gathering.

According to information from his memory, their fixed meeting date was within the next couple of days.

And so, a few days later—

The Holy Servants' gathering day arrived.

But this time, they sensed something was wrong. Not a single Holy Spirit disciple was present at any sub-branch. Instead, each sub-branch contained a note directing them to a new location.

No one dared disobey.

Following the notes left behind in each sub-branch, the Holy Servants were guided to the most important sub-branch and gathered in the underground plaza below it.

The plaza had been expanded and renovated, making it more spacious. Dim soul-guide lamps lit the area, casting a solemn atmosphere, as if something monumental was about to happen.

Many of the Holy Servants grew wary. Most had been forced to join the Holy Spirit Sect—because their loved ones' souls were held hostage by the sub-branch elders. Disobedience would lead to the torment of their relatives' souls—unbearable cruelty.

One by one, the Holy Servants arrived.

Eventually, over a hundred had gathered.

Each wore white robes with hoods—a typical outfit for Holy Servants. Their faces were hidden, and everyone remained vigilant, speaking to no one. They kept a courteous and safe distance from one another.

Fortunately, the expanded underground plaza was large enough to hold them all.

But though the Holy Servants arrived, no disciples appeared. No one explained what was going on.

Just as they grew increasingly puzzled—

Huo Yuhao, controlling the Death God's Emissary, descended from above the plaza and landed on a high platform. He released the powerful aura of a Soul Douluo, immediately pressing down on everyone below, making them feel a heavy tension.

Some Holy Servants were gripped by fear, suspecting Huo Yuhao intended to slaughter them.

After all, the Holy Spirit Sect was filled with evil soul masters—killing people was nothing to them.

But Huo Yuhao spoke in a raspy voice:

"I am the new sub-branch elder of the Holy Spirit Sect's Mingdu division—Death God's Emissary!"

"I have come to lead you. From now on, I will be your greatest branch elder!"

"I only have three tasks for you—get stronger! Get stronger! And for fk's sake, GET STRONGER!**"

Silence.

Even after he withdrew his pressure, the Holy Servants stared blankly at him, still stunned by the sudden turn of events.

Wait—what? The big boss got replaced and nobody told us?

Is this how casually you handle leadership transitions in the Holy Spirit Sect?

Someone couldn't hold back and asked in a hurry:

"Excuse me, Lord Death God's Emissary... what happened to the former sub-branch elder?"

After all, their loved ones' souls were still in that guy's hands!

He's gone, but the souls stayed behind?

Even if it meant death, they needed to find out what happened to those souls.

"Them? Heh heh…" Huo Yuhao chuckled. "I didn't like their faces, so I killed them all."

"!!!"

The Holy Servants were shaken to their core.

Do you even hear yourself right now?!

But luckily, their worst fears didn't come true.

Huo Yuhao raised his hand, summoning the Holy Spirit Banner.

"I know your loved ones' souls are inside this Holy Spirit Banner. That's why I kept it. If you behave in the future, I might just release them."

The Holy Servants were stunned. They didn't expect Huo Yuhao to make such a promise. Even if it was a lie, it still gave them hope.

But in the end, they were still being manipulated through their loved ones' souls. Not much different from before.

Morale remained low, but no one dared to speak out—everyone walked on eggshells, afraid that one wrong move would get them killed.

"Be grateful!" Huo Yuhao said with a twisted laugh. "You used to be treated like resources. But I'm offering you a chance to grow stronger. Keh keh keh—"

No one responded.

Instead, more Holy Servants felt that this new Death God's Emissary might be even more terrifying than the last elder.

At least the previous one was somewhat sane. This guy? Clearly unhinged. No reason. No mercy. And worse—stronger.

The Holy Servants couldn't help but feel despair.

Then Huo Yuhao made his announcement:

"From this day forward—all pre-disciple candidates are now full disciples of the Holy Spirit Sect. All Holy Servants are hereby promoted to Holy Apostles, and you are now registered disciples under my name!"

The Holy Servants: …what???

There were rankings among Holy Servants.

Those with five to six soul rings were considered "pre-disciples," holding relatively high status.

Below five rings, just ordinary Holy Servants.

Only those above six rings could become full Holy Spirit disciples, undergoing a ritual transformation—though it often meant having their souls harvested by the elders, and their bodies devoured by other disciples.

Despite Mingdu's abundant resources, few were truly transformed into disciples—most of the benefit went into the former elder's personal stash.

Seeing the still-dazed expressions below, Huo Yuhao added:

"Not only that, starting today, I will teach you secret techniques to break through your limits. You may even have a chance to become Titled Douluo in the future!"

"But how far you go—that depends on your own fate."

Finally, one quick-thinking Holy Servant—no, Holy Apostle—stepped forward, knelt, and bowed deeply to Huo Yuhao.

"Disciple greets the teacher!"

The rest quickly followed suit, kneeling and bowing in unison:

"Disciple greets the teacher!" ×N

Huo Yuhao grinned wide with satisfaction, standing proudly before the crowd of new "disciples," laughing heartily.

Thus, the first evil cultivation sect in the Douluo Continent was born—right there in that underground plaza.

"From today onward, the Saint Spirit Sect's Mingdu Branch shall be renamed the White Lotus Holy Altar. I, the Elder, shall be its Altar Master. All Saint Spirit disciples and saints are henceforth my registered disciples. Together, we shall cultivate the holy techniques and delve into the holy power!"

Standing above, Huo Yuhao announced to the newly initiated Saint Spirit disciples and saints below.

The simple master-disciple initiation ceremony had concluded. Now it was time to present something real.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

 Three stone tablets were summoned by Huo Yuhao and crashed down into the underground plaza, producing deep, echoing thuds. Drawn by the noise, the new disciples and saints looked toward the tablets, which were densely inscribed with numerous words.

Each tablet bore different inscriptions.

"White Lotus Sacred Technique?"

"White Lotus Secret Method?"

"White Lotus Doctrine?"

The disciples and saints couldn't help but read the titles aloud. Curiosity piqued, they began reading—and soon, every one of them became deeply immersed, unable to pull themselves away.

In fact, they began unconsciously following the cultivation instructions carved into the tablets, actively channeling soul power. Many dropped into postures of repentance and prayer, chanting the doctrines aloud.

Huo Yuhao nodded in satisfaction at their reactions.

"Not a waste of my half-day effort to carve out these three stone tablets."

As for why the tablets had such an effect, it wasn't anything too mysterious—just some subtle suggestive techniques. Given how susceptible the Saint Spirit disciples and saints already were, they fell for it easily.

Unless one had a perfectly tranquil mind, there was no resisting such demonic influence. But given the current state of things, how could they possibly remain calm?

The cultivation methods on the tablets were, to be frank, demonic techniques, and indeed originated from the White Lotus Sect.

In little Huo's original world, the White Lotus Sect was a rebellious cult. But in Pudu Cihang's world, the White Lotus Sect genuinely had some powerful things.

That said, in any world, the White Lotus Sect remained a heretical cult—the rebel kind.

According to Pudu Cihang's memories, the sect originally began when a fringe-path cultivator founded a religion to exploit commoners for profit. Using manipulation and minor mystical arts, the cult grew rapidly, eventually initiating rebellions.

Unfortunately, those uprisings failed.

But the imperial court was also unable to completely eliminate the White Lotus Sect.

Instead, the sect slipped into the shadows and endured through the ages.

Even during the final years of Pudu Cihang's dynasty, the sect not only survived—it had become deeply entrenched. Its techniques had evolved from simple fringe magic to something far darker and more twisted.

As it developed, the White Lotus Sect absorbed elements from Buddhism, Daoism, and Esoteric traditions. But instead of adhering to the proper paths, it warped them beyond recognition.

Esoteric techniques in particular were inherently sinister and heavily referenced by the sect. So of course, it couldn't avoid their influence.

Thus, the White Lotus Sect's methods had become not merely evil, but monstrous—to the point where even evil cultivators considered them perverse.

Disciples of the sect, originally called White Lotus Daoists, eventually came to be known as White Lotus Fiends.

Pudu Cihang had naturally obtained some of the sect's demonic techniques—although only fragments, they were still useful for reference. After all, certain White Lotus methods were quite similar to Soul-Reaping Sanskrit, both involving mind-control and indoctrination.

Pudu Cihang's interests didn't conflict with the sect's, so they rarely clashed. Their relationship was more like "you revolt your way, I absorb my dragon energy"—peaceful indifference with mutual wariness. Under different circumstances, cooperation might have been possible.

Still, Pudu Cihang's actions inadvertently benefited the White Lotus Sect greatly, allowing it to resurge into the public eye.

Back to the main point:

Although Pudu Cihang only had fragments of White Lotus techniques, Huo Yuhao had managed to reconstruct and refine them into the three techniques now etched onto the stone tablets.

The Three Techniques:

1. White Lotus Sacred Technique

Derived from the White Lotus Sect's Morning Repentance Ritual, this was a simplified and standardized form of a chanting cultivation method.

It was indeed a true cultivation method, and its effects were impressive.

However, the original technique was never a proper cultivation art—it advanced the user's power by sacrificing one's essence (life force).

Those who cultivated it would lose their sense of self and eventually become puppets.

Huo Yuhao had even enhanced it to speed up cultivation. A talented soul master might reach Titled Douluo level within a few years using this technique.

But the price was steep: rapid burnout of life force. Practitioners would be left with only a few years to live.

Still, Huo Yuhao had no intention of keeping these people around long term. Once they reached their limit, he'd "send them to heaven"—by invoking the Ghost Banner Martial Soul.

2. White Lotus Doctrine

This was meant to be used alongside the Sacred Technique. It wasn't just hollow dogma—it functioned like a spiritual cultivation method.

But instead of cultivating self-awareness or enlightenment, it fostered obedience and loyalty—to a specific target.

In this case, the teachings on the stone tablets were directed toward the Death God Envoy—not Huo Yuhao himself.

After all, when it comes to a cult designed for rebellion, the "noble figurehead" must stay untainted.

3. White Lotus Secret Method

This was the combat arsenal—not purely White Lotus Sect methods, but a blend of techniques Huo Yuhao had handpicked from evil cultivator repertoires.

A total of ten techniques were included—ranging from offense, defense, escape, and self-detonation, to insidious hexes.

The goal was simplicity and high impact—fast to learn, deadly to use.

Practitioners didn't need to master them all—just a few were enough to make them formidable among their peers.

Of course, the self-detonation technique was mandatory—and the easiest one to learn.

After all, White Lotus disciples and saints operating outside must not be allowed to be captured alive.

Recruiting these disciples and saints wasn't just to deal with the Saint Spirit Sect or to have more laborers. They were also needed to create disturbances and to assist in refining the Death God Envoy's corpse body.

Thus, secrecy measures were a must.

Later, Huo Yuhao would personally place restrictions on each of them, just in case.

The White Lotus Sect's most powerful methods actually lay in talismanic magic, but such techniques required too much time and resources to cultivate. Huo Yuhao wasn't willing to wait.

Still, he planned to evaluate the disciples and saints later to see if any had rare talents or special constitutions.

The best specimens, of course, would be reserved for special purposes.

He wouldn't let good material go to waste.

Even if the odds were slim.

Hours passed.

Only after half a day did the Saint Spirit disciples and saints slowly awaken. Some had even broken through in soul power, visibly thrilled beneath their hoods.

Those who hadn't broken through still sensed great improvement and were overjoyed.

They couldn't explain how, but the strength gain was real—and achieved without the usual sickening methods of evil soul masters.

It felt too good to be true. Even their mental fatigue faded into the background.

After all, regular cultivation also drained the mind—but never yielded results like this.

In the past, they received nothing at the branch altar. They had to prove their loyalty and offer up sacrifices just to keep their loved ones' souls safe.

But now, before even being asked to do anything, they'd already gained so much—and the technique was now branded into their minds.

This new elder of the branch… really might be different.

Perhaps the dream of seeing their loved ones' souls released was not a fantasy after all.

The length of one's first cultivation session can reveal a lot about a person's innate talent.

In theory, the longer a person's first cultivation session lasts, the greater their cultivation talent.

This is because newcomers to cultivation are usually unable to control themselves. Without external interference, they will naturally continue cultivating until they reach the limit of what their body can endure, at which point they awaken.

Those with greater innate talent typically have a higher endurance threshold, and thus their cultivation time is longer.

However, soul masters are ultimately not ordinary people. Powerful soul masters or those with unique martial souls can often sustain their cultivation for even longer periods.

Unsurprisingly, the weaker Saint Disciples were the first to awaken. The Holy Spirit Disciples followed after.

Though there remained a nominal distinction between Holy Spirit Disciples and Saint Disciples, all were now considered disciples of the Death God Envoy.

During this time, Huo Yuhao also asked each disciple about their martial souls, innate soul power, and current strength.

Perhaps it was due to the effect of the cultivation method, or the small favors and warmth he'd offered, or maybe even fear of Huo Yuhao's unpredictable temperament, but the disciples were largely honest. Most told the truth.

There were still some who remained wary, but even they only falsified unverifiable details like their innate soul power.

After going through everyone, Huo Yuhao realized—there wasn't a single weak one among them.

Some had clearly advanced through medicinal means, but even then, their qualifications were decent. All had martial souls of at least mid-level quality, and none had innate soul power below Level 5.

After all, the Holy Spirit Cult did not take in trash.

Moreover, the former sub-hall elder had intended to harvest them when they reached the Soul Emperor level.

Why bother training Saint Servants that had no hope of even reaching the Soul Emperor stage?

In short, every single one of these disciples had the qualifications to enter Shrek Academy.

This realization pained Huo Yuhao deeply.

If only he had arrived sooner, wouldn't those Saint Servants that had been exploited by the previous sub-hall elder now belong to him?

"Disciples greet the Master!"

 In the underground chamber, the disciples once again knelt and paid respects to Huo Yuhao.

But this time, their tone was more sincere, and their voices carried a newfound respect.

"Hahaha, good! With disciples like you, how could my teachings not flourish?!" Huo Yuhao laughed heartily.

He then began assigning duties based on how long each disciple had cultivated during their first session. After all, there were other sub-halls and affiliated industries that needed management.

Three disciples had cultivated for more than three hours—the longest of all. They were all newly appointed Holy Spirit Disciples and had reached the Soul King level in strength.

These three were promoted to Core Disciples, qualifying them for Huo Yuhao's personal training.

During his earlier assessments, Huo Yuhao had confirmed none of them possessed special bloodlines or physiques. He simply chose the three with the most promising talent as future enforcers—his elite operatives.

The three immediately knelt and expressed their deep gratitude, drawing the envy of the other disciples.

Even in an evil sect, everyone wanted to rise in the ranks.

After all, doing so might just help free their loved ones' souls sooner.

With tangible rewards now before them, the disciples' enthusiasm soared. They now had hope.

Notably, one of the newly appointed Core Disciples was Nana, a character from the original story, who possessed the Ghost martial soul.

She wasn't the most gifted, ranking only third. Her longer cultivation time was mainly due to her martial soul enhancing her soul's strength, allowing her to endure more.

By appointing these three as Core Disciples, Huo Yuhao had also stirred ambition in the others.

He then selected seven more Soul King–level disciples who had cultivated for relatively long periods to serve as hall masters of the other seven sub-halls. These seven were placed in charge of both personnel and related industries.

These sub-halls were named the Second through Eighth Sub-Halls.

Most of the remaining disciples were evenly distributed among the seven halls.

 Position titles like "Incense Master" and others were left to the discretion of the respective hall masters.

Huo Yuhao also chose a few disciples with more flexible schedules to act as personal attendants, helping him convey orders as needed.

As for the original sub-hall—the First Sub-Hall—Huo Yuhao planned to hide it completely. Unless summoned, no one was allowed to enter.

He had no intention of letting the main base be overrun like in the original story.

Naturally, the First Sub-Hall's location would be moved.

The old base had to be abandoned.

After distributing the benefits, assigning new roles, and offering final instructions, Huo Yuhao let the disciples leave.

No need for brainwashing or persuasion. As they continued cultivating with the new method, they would naturally become the Death God Envoy's most loyal followers.

And as long as Huo Yuhao controlled the Death God Envoy, he controlled them.

The disciples departed the First Sub-Hall with complicated feelings.

This gathering felt like a dream.

Their sub-hall… might actually become something great.

To Huo Yuhao's surprise, the first ones to show up were not Nangong Wan, but two other contact agents.

Because their companion hadn't returned, they came to the First Sub-Hall to ask what happened.

Then Huo Yuhao offered them tea.

After that, they had no more questions.

And Huo Yuhao gained some fresh materials for corpse refinement.

The First Sub-Hall was quickly relocated.

Its new location was a secret residence once "generously donated" by the former sub-hall elder. Although the residence was remote and modest in size, it was well-hidden and fully equipped.

No one knew it belonged to the elder.

He had raised a concubine and a young son in that very place—clear evidence of his favoritism. Huo Yuhao had already arranged a "family reunion" for them.

Interestingly, very few disciples at Holy Spirit Cult headquarters had children due to the harsh environment. Even if a child was born, survival was rare. Yet this sub-hall elder almost had a full-blown family line.

That wouldn't do. That was completely upside down.

Though the secret base was small, underground expansion was possible. Only the three Core Disciples and a few personal attendants knew its location.

They were also bound with far stricter soul restrictions.

And so, the Death God Envoy—or rather, Huo Yuhao—had successfully taken root in Mingdu.

But he wasn't about to get complacent.

There were still external threats to deal with.

Nangong Wan was just one of them.

Fortunately, the previous sub-hall elder didn't report to Nangong Wan every day. Huo Yuhao had also acted swiftly and discreetly, raising no suspicions.

So far, Nangong Wan hadn't shown up—likely unaware of what had transpired.

After all, he was a core elder of the headquarters and leader of the Xi Shui Alliance. He had far more pressing matters than the everyday workings of the Mingdu Sub-Hall.

Huo Yuhao now set his sights on a new target: the Alto Chamber of Commerce.

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