The Steward Demonic Emperor

"Master, you're back!"

In the Demon Scheming Sect's cemetery, Gui Hu, Tie Ying, Kui Gang and Yue'er were overlooking the four doors. While Elder Yuan took stock of the new laborers and sent them here.

The once desolate and eerie cemetery had become a popular spot for eager laborers.

Yue'er cried out seeing Zhuo Fan approaching.

Kui Gang grumbled, "Master, where have you been for the past three days? We've been working hard here and you were goofing off?"

"It's wandering off. You better remember that, brat." Zhuo Fan smiled and bopped his head.

Kui Gang pouted in annoyance.

[Isn't that the same thing? Just where could you wander off in the Demon Scheming Sect?]

Gui Hu hesitated before muttering, "Steward Zhuo, you said you'll let me stay by your side. Could you take me with you the next time you go?"

"Ha-ha-ha, I know what you mean but this time was different." Zhuo Fan grinned.

Besides getting the two venerables, he used the past few days to pay a visit to other known disciples Kui Lang and Yue Ling pointed out.

Poaching had become a walk in the park for him, knowing each side's reasoning fully well. And besides all that, getting the disciples had a far greater impact than some oldies.

He didn't take Gui Hu since he was Grand Elder's disciple. While the guy came to him to train for the Double Dragon Gathering, he would rather play it safe when it came to pulling the carpet from under the other party.

Gui Hu understood his reasoning and nodded.

Elder Yuan spoke up, "Steward Zhuo, for the past few days, the line of inner and outer disciples has been thinning."

"Of no importance. It's up to them if they want to come or not. We can't force them." Zhuo Fan waved his hand and turned to Gui Hu's group, "What are you four standing around for? Get back to your stations! And you, Gui Hu, keep that heavy savage energy hidden. You need to show restraint. That's why I've placed you here to supervise, to train your heart and learn restraint."

They all nodded and returned to their posts. Only Elder Yuan remained and smiled at Zhuo Fan.

He knew Zhuo Fan only said it for the four kids' sake while he had a different intention.

Sure enough, Zhuo Fan began with a sigh, "Young ones are too green in handling affairs. It's not that I don't trust them…"

"But fear they will be rash and expose your plan. I know, ha-ha-ha…" Elder Yuan laughed.

Zhuo Fan said, "Elder Yuan, I've been running around the inner sect these past few days and noticed that the old geezers are making a move to curb the disciples' new trend."

"They noticed our plan then. They have to get a grip on their disciples and no amount of effort on our part will change that. The sect's situation has always been up to the people's trend. Venerable Shi is too sharp to not notice it." Elder Yuan turned heavy.

Zhuo Fan mocked, "Be that as it may, too bad the inner sect isn't so tough after all. The oldies are too much at odds with each other, even as they band together to weather the storm. All I need is to instigate them and a crack shall form and with a few promises, they'll turn faster than flipping a book. Venerable Qi and Bai will do the splitting for me while with Kui Lang and Yue Ling's help I've got some strong inner disciples on board. The favor I gave them is showing it's worth…"

"I am amazed how Steward Zhuo's every step is calculated and controlled, ha-ha-ha…" Elder Yuan laughed.

Zhuo Fan rolled his eyes, "Please, I had to waste two 10th grade pills for those venerables. And that's just the start. For the other oldies I will have to give an 8th grade pill each. I'll be ruined at this rate."

"Are you running low? How much do you have left?" Elder Yuan jerked.

Once Zhuo Fan's pockets ran dry, the plan would be shot and flushed down the drain.

Zhuo Fan squinted, "Why do you care so much? You think I don't know that just after telling you that I can raise a sect, the next second Xie Wuyue came telling me to do so. Think I'm stupid? Telling you about my wealth will make you do everything to make me spend it all!"

"That means you have plenty to spare, ha-ha-ha. Great!" Elder Yuan nodded and smiled like a weasel.

Zhuo Fan's mouth twitched, though he didn't care that much. He could keep up with the expenses for a long long time, but that didn't mean he wanted to. The faster he finished this plan, the faster he paid back Xie Wuyue's favor and would be free.

He never once cared about the Demon Scheming Sect. It was all for the sake of being able to leave. If there was one place he'd rather spend his time at, it was that new little house.

Elder Yuan noticed it as well and sighed. [The kid has no connection to the sect, even with his two disciples here…]

Elder Yuan smiled, "Steward Zhuo, you've gone to such lengths and spent so much for the sect and having received nothing in return must have put you in a bad mood. Then let me tell you a secret rumor that might be of little help."

"What rumor? Is it Xie Wuyue's gossip? Next time I'll smack that greedy little bugger and take out my resentment on him so that you never get another idea about my pockets, ha-ha-ha…"

Elder Yuan's face twitched and he chuckled, "Steward Zhuo, please don't joke. I'm being honest here. The rumor comes from the western lands and only the higher ups of the sects are privy to it. I only got to hear about it by playing lackey to an alchemist. It is about the secret of the Dragon Vein Soul…"

"Dragon Vein Soul?" That caught Zhuo Fan's attention, "You mean that Nine Dragons Diamond Body?"

Elder Yuan smiled in disdain, "That's just a waste of dragon soul's power."

"What do you mean?" Zhuo Fan turned serious.

Ethereal Stage experts say, "With the nine dragon souls in one's body, anyone who can withstand their torture while under Ethereal Stage, will achieve the Nine Dragons Diamond Body and enter the Ethereal Stage on the spot. But this path is a waste, because his soul would become that of an earth dragon soul. No different than those other nine dragon souls. So when meeting another Ethereal Stage expert, your body may be tough, but your soul will be weaker."

"The better way of using dragon souls is the ten dragon soul convergence. Conjoining heaven and earth, activating the heaven vein and drawing the nine heaven dragon's powers into yourself to form the heaven dragon soul! It is beyond anything the earth dragon soul can achieve. This soul's natural aura can quell another's soul and make battles far easier. Rumor has it that the earth dragon soul is a top soul, but lacks in both attack styles and one could only skip two layers while the heaven dragon soul can skip five!"

"What?!"

Zhuo Fan was astounded, having never heard of anything related to heaven dragon soul.

Closing his eyes, Zhuo Fan recalled the Nine Serenities Secret Records and its contents but nothing about it was mentioned. [Not even the Nine Serenities Emperor knew?]

Though there was one thing that drew his attention, pertaining to the true dragon soul.

Sacred Domain's dragon race had the Dragon Tomb where its generations were buried and the dragon power ran strong. By using it to refine the soul, the strongest dragon soul would take shape.

But that place was the dragon race's restricted area, under tight guard.

Going there as anything but an Ethereal Stage was a death wish.

While after reaching the Ethereal Stage, one lost a crucial chance to form their soul so no one would think of going there to refine a true dragon soul.

[But from Elder Yuan's words, this heaven dragon soul sounds like a soul formed by refinement of the Dragon Tomb's dragon power.]

[I can't steal it in the Sacred Domain but I can in the mortal domain?]

Elder Yuan knew he was puzzled and continued, "The ten dragons open the heavens and provide one with the timing to enter the Ethereal Stage. Though lacking in the Nine Dragons Diamond Body's toughness, it matters not when soul is all that counts in the Ethereal Stage. In the western lands we are in, only Double Dragon Sect's Exalted Double Dragon managed to achieve the heaven dragon soul!"