Chapter 41: After a quick shake, it was discovered that things were not that simple

Yunyangzi had white hair and a white beard. Dressed in white cloud-patterned Daoist robes, he sat upright in a high position, his "川" shaped eyebrows perpetually furrowed.

He looked at the people present, his tone heavy as he spoke: "I have summoned you all here today because of the Demon Race."

The very first sentence turned the atmosphere in the room exceptionally solemn.

"Recently, there have been traces of the Demon Race appearing in the villages near the Falling Immortal Sect. Each of you is to dispatch disciples from your respective peaks to investigate. Use this as an opportunity for training, but remember: safety first. Under no circumstances must anything happen to the disciples."

The group nodded in understanding.

When it came to the Demon Race, everyone took the matter quite seriously.

"Senior Brother, what did the higher-ups say?" Yun Ding inquired, drawing the gazes of the others.

Yunyangzi shook his head and sighed, "The information from above is very clear. There is nothing wrong with the Golden Battlefield; it is impossible for the Demon Race to pass through the World Wall. Since they have appeared here, there must be another passage. People have already been sent to investigate, and we have also been tasked to look into it. By attacking from two sides, we hope to discover promptly why the Demon Race has suddenly appeared."

Yunyangzi appeared extremely grave.

For the human race, the greatest enemy was the Demon Race.

The holy war between humans and demons had burned for a thousand years without extinguishing.

Each of them had personally fought the Demon Race on the Golden Battlefield.

Therefore, they understood the cruelty of the demons even better.

If the Demon Race truly found a way to bypass the Golden Battlefield and the World Wall to strike directly into the heart of the Eastern Region, it would be a cataclysmic disaster for all humans in the region.

"Do the higher-ups not have specific information?"

Hong Niang felt a faint sense of unease, recalling a fragment of the future she had divined—it was blurry, and she could not tell if it was good or bad.

"This matter is likely not simple. When dispatching people, it would be best to have experienced disciples lead them to avoid major chaos," Yun Ding suggested.

Young disciples lacked experience; if they truly encountered the Demon Race, their lives would be in grave danger.

"I agree. It would be best to let disciples who have been to the Golden Battlefield lead the teams."

Yun Qianren was no longer acting in opposition to his senior brother.

After all, they were brothers-in-arms who had fought the demons together on the Golden Battlefield, men who could trust each other with their lives.

They had always stood together on critical issues.

"There is no time to lose. Go and handle this matter immediately."

With Yunyangzi's command, the group quickly departed.

***

Meanwhile, within a withered mountain located an unknown distance from the Falling Immortal Sect.

Thick smoke drifted through the air, and a deathly silence reigned. Everything was dead; nothing remained but eternal solitude.

"How is the matter progressing?"

Mo Jiu, a towering figure, sat upon a throne of white bones, looking down at the demon slave at his feet.

"Reporting to Master, the plan is nearing completion. Please rest assured," the demon slave replied respectfully, kneeling on the ground.

"It had better be."

Mo Jiu moved his neck, emitting a low, thunderous rumble.

"No wonder my Demon Race has spent a thousand years trying to invade the Eastern Region. It truly is a heaven-sent paradise. In just four years, our strength has risen to such a level. If we can take the Falling Immortal Sect and absorb its spirit veins, the True Demon Scripture will surely reach Great Completion overnight. Father, I will show you that among all the Demon Sons, I am the strongest."

Mo Jiu's eyes were a blood-red hue, and his body was wreathed in pitch-black True Demon Flames.

In a trance-like state, a colossal True Demon Divine Aspect hovered behind him, filling the entire hall.

"By the way, is there any news of that bastard?"

Mo Jiu suddenly remembered the fellow who had tricked him.

The humiliation of being played that day still fueled an unquenchable rage.

"Master, within these four years, the internal spies have been searching for news of this person constantly, but... Master, the person you are looking for does not seem to be within the Falling Immortal Sect," the demon slave said tremulously.

"Impossible!" Mo Jiu rose abruptly, a powerful surge of energy erupting and instantly blasting the demon slave back dozens of meters. "That fellow is definitely within the Falling Immortal Sect. I can feel it; he is living a carefree life in some corner of the sect."

The thought of that fellow still living happily—perhaps even lounging with girls, sipping clear tea, and chatting with friends while cultivating the Great Dao—made his blood boil.

"But Master," the demon slave said submissively, enduring the pain as he continued to kneel, "over the past four years, the spies have nearly searched every single disciple in the Falling Immortal Sect, yet they have not found him. In fact, based on your description, no one has even heard of such a person."

The demon slave reported while enduring physical agony.

Mo Jiu rubbed his temples and sat back down on his throne.

How was that possible?

How could a living person simply vanish into thin air?

Although the Falling Immortal Sect had many disciples, they had searched for over four years without success. Given that fellow's abilities, he certainly wasn't an ordinary person.

"Keep searching. I don't believe he can hide for a lifetime."

The True Demon Flames in Mo Jiu's palm transformed into the likeness of Zheng Tu, before his fingers suddenly clenched into a fist.

*Bang!*

The flames were reduced to ash.

***

Falling Immortal Sect, beneath Qianren Peak.

Zheng Tu, who had just broken the Qianren Peak Guardian Array, was currently digesting his experience.

For no reason at all, he suddenly felt a chill and his body shuddered involuntarily.

"What's going on?"

With a thought, Zheng Tu immediately activated the five Guardian God Arrays around his neck.

Five emerald-green turtle shells enveloped him, startling Jiu Li'er, who was standing beside him.

"Senior Brother, are you... alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

Zheng Tu said he was fine, but he did not retract the Guardian God Arrays.

Strange!

He was a seventh-stage Qi Refining cultivator; why would he shiver for no reason? Could someone be badmouthing him behind his back?

Who was it?

Chi Xiao!

Little White!

He had been very low-profile for the past four years. Fewer than ten people even knew him; he shouldn't have offended anyone, right?

Thinking this, Zheng Tu pulled a small "Blacklist" notebook from his robe.

The blacklist recorded those capable of threatening him.

He scanned it carefully from top to bottom.

Finally, his gaze locked onto Mo Jiu.

The Demon Race had appeared four years ago, and there hadn't been a single scrap of news in all that time.

Could they be planning something recently?

To be safe, he should head back to Falling Immortal Mountain and hide for a while.

He put away the notebook, preparing to leave.

"Senior Brother, Piaomiao Peak is right in front of us!"

Jiu Li'er was puzzled.

They had agreed to come to Piaomiao Peak to break the array and learn from it; why was her senior brother turning around to leave?

"Junior Sister Li'er, Piaomiao Peak is your cultivation mountain after all. To save face for you, let's just not break it, okay?"

Zheng Tu only wanted to hurry back to Falling Immortal Mountain to lie low; otherwise, he felt incredibly uneasy.

"There's no need, Senior Brother," Jiu Li'er said, waving her hand. "I've long wanted to see how the Piaomiao Peak Guardian Array works. If there are issues, we can improve it quickly to prevent problems in the future."

Seeing her persistence, Zheng Tu shook his head inwardly.

Jiu Li'er was good at everything, but she was quite stubborn and overly competitive.

In the days they had spent together, he could clearly feel the sense of responsibility she carried, as if she held the weight of the entire Jiu Li Clan on her shoulders.

"Alright. Actually, it's just that I'm a bit tired. Breaking the arrays of three consecutive peaks requires time to properly digest. On the path of cultivation, one must know how to progress step by step. One must never be too hasty, trying to swallow a whole fat pig in one bite."

Zheng Tu acted like a normal senior brother, patiently teaching his junior sister about the essence of cultivation.

Jiu Li'er looked conflicted.

During her days of cultivating under Zheng Tu, her knowledge of arrays had grown rapidly.

She clearly hoped this growth would continue.

But Zheng Tu was right.

If you take on too much, you cannot chew it properly.

Long periods of high-intensity cultivation without consolidation would be detrimental to her future progress.

"Alright, I'll listen to you, Senior Brother. I'll go back to consolidate before continuing my cultivation."

Jiu Li'er nodded obediently, though she still felt a bit reluctant.

"Don't be disappointed, Junior Sister Li'er. Once we have digested the array methods we've learned, it won't be too late to break the Piaomiao Peak Guardian Array."

Zheng Tu patted her shoulder.

"Let's head back. I'll come find you in a while."

Just as the two were about to leave, a voice suddenly drifted down from the mountain.

"Junior Sister Li'er, why are you here?"

The moment he heard that voice, Zheng Tu's heart skipped a beat. He cursed inwardly, "Damn! Do I have to be this unlucky?"

(End of Chapter)