Chapter 486: Demon Hunter Kong
"Demon Hunter Kong."
Xiao Kongâs gaze slowly met the Elder whoâd spoken.
There was no anger. No acknowledgment. Just a faint, effortless lookâcold and indifferentâas if he were observing something small, forgettable, and beneath notice.
The Elder felt his spine tighten.
That glance alone was enough to remind him of the rumorsâof the countless demons slain, the sects silenced, the wars ended before they began.
This was not a man one challenged. This was a force. A calamity wearing human skin. And he was none other than Xiao Fangâs grandfather.
âHow can they be classified as a 2nd Tier sect,â the Elder thought. âThat man alone... could singlehandedly bring a 2nd Tier sect down to their knees.â
If the classifications of a sect could be given based on the strength of a single person, the Heavenly Fate sect would certainly be considered a 3rd-Grade sect. However, one man alone couldnât change the grade of a sect.
âJust who is the leader of the Heavenly Fate sect, and how could he contain such a monster,â the Elders thought as his eyes scanned the others in Xiao Kongâs group.
The other 12, although their cultivation couldnât compare to Xiao Kongâs, they didnât look weak at all. Their collective presence alone made cultivators across the hall unconsciously straighten their backs.
The three Heavenly Fate disciples who had arrived earlier released the breath theyâd been holding. Moments ago, they had been the target of quiet mockery and pressure from other sectsânow those same cultivators lowered their gazes and pretended nothing had happened, swallowing their pride along with their arrogance.
Among the thirteen newcomers, the man at the center stood outânot because he appeared ancient or imposing, but because he looked almost too young.
Barely past a hundred years of age, yet it appeared as if the others in his group followed him without question.
Despite his relatively young age, this man was none other than the former Patriarch of the Heavenly Fate Sect.
Calm and reserved, his expression revealed nothing as his eyes swept the hall. His gaze was gentle but unraveling, as if he could see through any secret with nothing but a glance.
Then, spotting a familiar face, his expression warmed slightly. With a graceful descent, he touched down and exchanged greetings.
"Quite the entrance, little brother." A woman stepped forward, her hair long and emerald-green, robes embroidered with blooming vines. She was none other than Yu Weiliâthe Matriarch of the Evergreen Sect. "I remember watching our father attempt to learn that technique before he passed away. To see his son complete what he could not... it brings me satisfaction."
"Itâs good to see you too, elder sister," the former Patriarch replied softly. "Is your husband not attending?"
She waved her hand as if brushing away a trivial problem.
"He injured himself during seclusion. So Iâm here in his place. You could say..." her lips curved into a teasing smirk, "...fate put me here."
"One manâs misfortune becomes anotherâs opportunity," he answered with a faint smile. "For me, seeing you again is a fortunate one."
Before she could respond further, the sky began to warp.
"Someoneâs coming."
All eyes lifted toward the open ceiling. A heartbeat later, streaks of spirit light flashed across the sky as massive spirit beasts descended â each one pulling chariots forged from gold and jade. Their intricate carvings glimmered with ancient inscriptions, drawing gasps from the hall below.
"Look! The Immortal SkyCloud Sect... they really came."
"And not just themâmore are arriving!"
One after another, colossal aerial ships and celestial chariots broke through the clouds. The ground trembled faintly beneath the weight of their presence; the air itself grew heavy as these titanic vessels lowered toward the grand hall.
These were the true powerhouse sects of the continent. Their arrival made even the Heavenly Fate Sectâs dramatic entrance seem modest in comparison.
Suddenly, the ceiling began to shift. Massive stone plates slid into place overhead as countless inscriptions ignited along the domeâlocking the hall with protective formations.
Then a deep, resonant voice rolled across the chamber:
"Welcome, honored guests."
A man in phoenix-embroidered robes appeared at the forefront, descending with effortless grace.
"Now that everyone has arrived," he declared, his voice carrying authority that silenced even the strongest cultivators, "let the conference begin."
...
Around the edges of the grand hall, disciples of the Heavenly Flame Sect lifted their hands in unison. Flames surged from their palms and rose toward the dome above, forming a massive projection of the
Northern Continent of Yuhuang
.
Bit by bit, the fiery image clarifiedâmountains, borders, kingdoms, and sect territories appearing as glowing red outlines.
When the southern region lit up, the tone in the room shifted.
"That," one elder narrated, "is the domain of the Demon Race."
The flames then shifted lowerârevealing a much smaller territory beneath the demon lands.
A name burned into view.
Koh.
"The Land of Koh," the narrator continued, "has remained isolated for thousands of years. Unlike other kingdoms, they neither seek alliances nor wage war. Their belief is simpleâa nationâs borders extend only as far as its king can strike."
Murmurs spread among the representatives.
"To this day," the elder said, "no one alive has ever seen the Koh king attack. Yet their territory has never shrunk... only expanded."
Another flame flickered, showing the migration path of the demon armiesâmoving northward.
"Make no mistake," the elder said. "The demons are not marching because they seek conquest."
The hall fell silent.
"They are fleeing."
Gasps broke outâsharp, incredulous.
"They are running from the growing
Koh Empire
."
A heavy stillness settled in the air as the projection faded.
Only then did the meeting truly beginâfirst to present the full scope of the threat, then to discuss strategies, alliances, and war.
"What do we know about the Koh people?" multiple representatives asked at once, tension rising across the room.
A senior scholar from the Heavenly Flame Sect stepped forward, clasping his hands behind his back.
"The Koh are... unlike the rest of us," he began. "They are neither allies nor enemies, but they behave as if the world beyond their borders does not matter."
A pause.
"They do not negotiate. They do not send envoys. When they act, it is without warning and without reason anyone can understand."
His gaze swept the room.
"If something interests them, they take it. If someone stands in their way, they destroy them. Not out of malice, but their own twisted form of respect. They acknowledge only one lawâ
strength.
"
Whispers stirred the hall.
"They are not hostile by nature," the scholar clarified, "but they are unpredictable. And unpredictability, at their level of power..."
His expression hardened.
"...is as dangerous as open war."