There is an old saying that money is not everything, but without it, nothing is possible.
Especially in this money-worshipping era, the role of money is even more prominent.
Even the United States, the world's most powerful military and economic nation, is controlled by the financial capital of Wall Street and those arms dealers. They export war everywhere, allowing these large corporations to make a fortune.
Having battled the righteous path alliance for a thousand years, the Heavenly Demon Sect understands this principle very well. The crooked paths are actually cannon fodder they recruit through the binding of interests.
Only the outstanding among this cannon fodder are qualified to enter the Heavenly Demon Sect and become its core members.
Currently, the Heavenly Demon Sect is recruiting soldiers and buying horses by throwing money around.
The Heavenly Demon Sect is very wealthy, with many industries under its umbrella, bringing in substantial cash annually for the sect and its affiliated crooked paths. However, their expenses are also astronomical.
Facing a deficit, the Heavenly Demon Sect is also finding ways to make money. Within their team, the one most skilled at making money is Yulia.
This woman excels at seductive arts. Especially in recent years, after cultivating some unorthodox techniques, she has also learned some mind-confusing spells from the sect leader, making her manipulation of people's hearts even more adept.
In recent years, she has frequently appeared around wealthy individuals, mesmerizing them to the point of obsession, and then having them spend lavishly on her.
Not only that, but she also directs them to make wrong investments in their businesses, causing them to plummet. The Heavenly Demon Sect's capital then profits from shorting the stock market or buying at the lowest prices.
In the past few months, she has attached herself to Tony Ma, who has already spent billions of US dollars on her.
This time, with the appearance of the overseas immortal ruins, the Heavenly Demon Sect is naturally covetous of the treasures within. They are determined to obtain them, not only sending out all thirteen protectors of the Heavenly Demon Sect but also two venerables. These venerables are not ordinary martial artists or cultivators; they are true cultivators, capable of being called mighty beings.
With such a generous benefactor footing the bill, the Heavenly Demon Sect naturally wouldn't waste the opportunity.
At Yulia's instigation, Tony Ma purchased this luxury yacht from a cash-strapped tycoon and renamed it the "Soaring."
In a dining room as opulent as a palace, a dining table is laden with over a dozen classic dishes from around the world.
On a ship like this, there are ten chefs, most of whom serve Tony Ma.
Little do these chefs and crew members know that this journey will be their last voyage.
Those working on the luxury liner have signed non-disclosure agreements and are very professional, not easily revealing their employer's information, lest they face exorbitant compensation claims.
However, the true owner of this ship is the woman opposite Tony Ma. Tony Ma's gaze is now somewhat abnormal, his eyes almost constantly fixed on Yulia's face.
And the one controlling the fate of those on board is also this woman. However, Yulia will not let these people disembark alive; those who have witnessed the Heavenly Demon Sect's actions can only become dead men!
After the two finished their meal, Tony Ma stretched.
"My dear, after dinner, shouldn't we rest..."
This fellow was originally portly, but in the month since meeting this woman, he has lost dozens of pounds, his eye sockets sunken, and his dark circles terrifying.
No man can resist Yulia's seductive charm. And he is not a trained martial artist. If Yulia wished, she could drain him dry in a single night.
Just then, a disciple of the Heavenly Demon Sect came to report.
"Eldest Miss, Old Uncle-Ancestor requests your presence!"
"Alright, tell Old Uncle-Ancestor to wait. I'll be there shortly!"
Yulia smiled enchantingly, a smile that was incredibly alluring. Tony Ma opposite her was captivated.
"My dear, you go take a bath first and wait for me in the room. I'll be right back!"
"Okay, okay..." Tony Ma looked like a lecher, almost drooling.
Yulia felt disgusted. If it weren't for the Heavenly Demon Sect, she wouldn't stoop to dealing with such a foolish man. However, she still smiled charmingly; this was professionalism!
The reason she was called Eldest Miss was that Yulia, to further pique the interest of the man before her, had lied, claiming to be the eldest daughter of a prominent family in Southeast Asia.
In reality, this family was an industry under the Heavenly Demon Sect, which had been raising funds and recruiting personnel overseas for the sect over the years.
And on the ship, many members of the Heavenly Demon Sect were posing as Yulia's relatives, such as Old Uncle-Ancestor and Great Uncle.
Tony Ma, completely mesmerized by Yulia, did not suspect anything or raise any objections. He was now a puppet controlled by this woman.
Yulia left the dining room and, via an elevator, descended to the lower deck. Here, in a private room, Yulia met an old man.
This old man appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, with white hair and beard, but his posture was quite upright.
This person was named Pang Zongheng. He was an unorthodox cultivator with considerable power. He was also one of the venerables of the Heavenly Demon Sect and the overall commander of this operation!
Pang Zongheng was skilled in formations and had a considerable reputation among unorthodox practitioners. Those who sought shortcuts in their cultivation inevitably had to seek his help.
The Old Uncle-Ancestor mentioned by the waiter was actually Pang Zongheng!
Beside Pang Zongheng stood a man about 1.8 meters tall, entirely shrouded in a black robe.
This man wore a silicone mask, and behind the mask was a pale face devoid of any blood, a face that looked like a corpse left in a morgue for several months!
This man was also a venerable of the Heavenly Demon Sect. His name was Shi Jiu. He was also a cultivator, but he practiced a technique called "Dead Zen."
This technique involved drawing Yin Sha energy into the body, and not just ordinary Yin Sha energy, but primarily the death qi from burial grounds.
They used this death qi to temper their bodies and to harm others.
Of course, this unorthodox technique was powerful and malicious, but it also had significant limitations!
They had to frequently extract people's souls to strengthen their own souls, preventing their bodies from being completely transformed into actual corpses by the Yin Sha energy!
This time, regarding the overseas immortal ruins on Mermaid Island, the Heavenly Demon Sect leader was determined to obtain them. Therefore, he dispatched two venerables who rarely made a move, along with thirteen protectors, demonstrating the magnitude of this undertaking.