Chapter 385: Twelve Heavenly Demons

"Thank you, senior, for the rescue!"

Lily came over, leading Li Taibai.

"Senior Mu has already told me, your great kindness I will never forget!" Li Taibai thanked Mu Yi.

"Senior Mu?" Mu Yi looked at Lily with some confusion; the "Senior Mu" Li Taibai mentioned was not him, but Lily.

"When I walk this realm, I am called Mu Li!" Lily's face flushed slightly, but she still explained to Mu Yi.

Mu Yi opened his mouth but said nothing; to crown you with my surname…

A strange atmosphere spread between the two.

"Cough cough cough, seniors, what should we do next!" Li Taibai covered his mouth, coughing up two liang of fresh blood, and asked weakly.

He was severely wounded by a single strike from the Jing Tian Demon; at this moment his body is gravely injured.

Mu Yi casually flicked out a wisp of blazing fire, and Li Taibai instantly felt as if he were soaking in a hot spring, an indescribable comfort spreading through his whole body.

His previously gravely injured body began to recover little by little.

"The Immortal Trace Ruins are in that direction?" Mu Yi, seeing Li Taibai's condition improve, asked.

"We still need to go east for 108,000 li!" Li Taibai didn't pull out a map; instead he recalled it in his mind, estimated the distance, and said.

Mu Yi didn't mind Li Taibai's little scheme; to Li Taibai, they were still just strangers.

Even if there is a Zongwang contract, he probably still doesn't fully trust them in his heart, especially when meeting him for the first time.

Eastward?

Mu Yi looked eastward, seeing an endless lake surface.

No wonder Li Taibai appeared in such a place.

"Let's go!" Lily raised her hand and tossed a carpet, indicating Mu Yi and Li Taibai to sit on it.

"Alchemical Magic Carpet, its flight speed is decent; taking a boat is too slow, let's fly straight there!" Lily said.

"Fine then!" Mu Yi had no objection; Li Taibai hesitated to speak, but eventually sat cross‑legged on the carpet and began to close his eyes to rest.

The Alchemical Magic Carpet's speed was unsatisfactory, but it also came with a windshield that blocked the oncoming lake wind generated by its high speed.

From the carpet, looking into the distance, the lake scenery filled the eyes, giving a sense of pleasant contentment.

"The so‑called Jing Tian Demon I just killed—what strength does it have among the Twelve Heavenly Demons?" Bored, Mu Yi asked casually.

"It is rumored that among the Twelve Heavenly Demons, Jing Tian Demon ranks ninth. As for strength, my master once said that the Swallow Heaven Demon, Lock Heaven Demon, and Stabilize Heaven Demon are far stronger than me; I turned and fled upon seeing those three."

"The Shake Heaven Demon, Level Heaven Demon, Equal Heaven Demon, Jing Tian Demon, Sound Heaven Demon, Shoot Heaven Demon, Drill Heaven Demon, Support Heaven Demon, and Mighty Heaven Demon—nine of them are slightly stronger than me, but at my full strength I could contend with them!"

Mu Yi raised an eyebrow at Lily's words; according to Li Taibai, among the Twelve Heavenly Demons, nine are high‑tier legends and three approach demigod level—quite a formidable lineup.

Lily is certainly far stronger than these native high‑tier legends, but against a dozen, it's hard to say.

Lily shook her head at Mu Yi; she is a mage, not a divine mage, and even if she summoned her own Mage Tower, she feared she couldn't stop these twelve high‑tier legends.

"Aren't you reputed to be a top‑tier master of the world?" Lily asked, a bit puzzled; before this she thought her opponent would have mostly legends, at most two or three high‑tier legends among the Twelve Heavenly Demons.

But how did it suddenly jump to the high‑tier legend level?

"Above top‑tier masters there are supreme masters and unparalleled masters!" Li Taibai said with a wry smile.

Lily's head was filled with black lines, Mu Yi took it as usual; cultural differences still persisted.

In Jiuzhou, the term "top‑tier" basically means something that's everywhere, like a common sight.

"As a junior, I'm invincible among top‑tier masters, yet I've never imagined being so powerless before a supreme master!" Li Taibai said bitterly.

Mu Yi scolded Li Taibai similarly; they've both been cheating three‑against‑one, yet still can't challenge across tiers; it can only be said they're not yet skilled enough.

At least they're the world's top disciple; even if they don't become an unparalleled master, they should at least be a supreme master.

"So you plan to go to the Immortal Trace Ruins to try your luck and boost your strength?" Mu Yi's gaze turned to the lake as he asked.

"The Immortal Trace Ruins hold treasures; my master once obtained a divine weapon and a technique from there, thereby earning the fame of the Azure Lotus Sword Master. The only way I can think of to strengthen myself and uncover the truth of my master's disappearance is this!"

"You mean the Azure Lotus Dao was obtained from the ruins?" Mu Yi perked up, his gaze shifting to Li Taibai.

"Senior, look, this is the Azure Lotus Dao!" Li Taibai promptly handed the manual of the Azure Lotus Dao to Mu Yi, treating it as a down payment.

His body now gravely injured, he still relies on Mu Yi and Lily for protection, and naturally does not skimp on a few worldly possessions.

Mu Yi, in high spirits, flipped through the manual in his hand, his brows furrowing deeper.

How does it feel like this manual is incomplete?

It's not that the manual itself is incomplete; rather, the technique itself is fragmentary, with many parts later patched, and from his current perspective it feels like adding unnecessary embellishments.

"Did your master create this technique?"

"Yes, my master said this is a fragment of celestial law he obtained from the ruins; after years of contemplation he filled in some gaps."

Mu Yi nodded; that explained it. Though the thing can be cultivated, compared to the original it is clearly far inferior.

"Did your master not consider returning to the ruins to fully restore the technique?"

"My master said the celestial traces are elusive; entering once is already a heavenly blessing, and subsequent trips have yielded nothing."

"Then how can you be confident of finding the Immortal Trace Ruins? Wouldn't it be simpler to just hand it over?"

"How could those people trust me!"

Li Taibai's face turned grim; even if he were willing to hand over the map, those people, if they couldn't find it, would think he gave them a fake map, and no amount of pleading could explain it.

He had no choice but to walk this road of no return himself.

If he had a choice, he wouldn't stake all his possessions to sign a Zongwang contract for support.

"My master said he accepted me back then because I resonated with the divine weapon, the Azure Lotus Sword, that emerged from the ruins, saying I had a celestial affinity, thus taking me as a disciple."

"Perhaps wherever I go, I can truly enter the Immortal Trace Ruins!"

While the two were chatting idly, Mu Yi suddenly turned and looked toward the far end of the sky behind them.

It was as if ten thousand horses were galloping, thunder rolling; from the far sky came a whistling sound in the wind, and in an instant it surged ten thousand li straight toward them.

A fierce killing intent disturbed the air; an arrow's exterior formed a vague three‑legged golden crow‑like phantom, radiating endless light and heat, as if a massive sun had risen.

The wind‑blocking shield on the magic carpet evaporated in an instant under the intense light and heat; the whistling arrow surged straight forward, aiming directly at Lily's brow.

……

"What a pity, such a beautiful fresh flower is about to wither!"

A tall, thin man stood upon the earth, raised the great bow in his hand, looked up at Mu Yi and his companions a hundred li away, his gaze filled with endless regret.

"You actually like that white‑haired ghost, Sky‑Shooting Demon, your taste is truly terrible!" a burly man, arms crossed and about two sizes larger than the tall thin man, sneered.

"Heaven‑Shaking Demon, you brute, you don't even understand the sentiment of cherishing fragrance and jade; it's a pity that the flower will wither and the jade will perish!"

"That white‑haired woman is a thorny flower; her strength is probably not below ours. Can you really succeed?" a short figure doubted Sky‑Shooting Demon.

"This arrow is a killing shot!" Sky‑Shooting Demon sneered as he drew his bow.

Although the naked eye cannot see it, his cultivation grants him an infallible Thousand‑mile Eye and a keen intuition that can silently lock onto an enemy.

Whether intentional or not, even a peer‑level master would fall under his full‑force strike.

Moreover, prior intelligence had revealed that Lily seemed not adept at close combat, but rather a mystic Taoist who could manipulate natural forces, yet she was extremely fragile.

Such ultra‑long‑range sniping is perfect for dealing with this kind of foe.

When the qi mechanism was fully locked, he drew the Sun‑Shooting Bow, channeling its surging power into the arrow, and the sun‑like explosive force caused the arrow to emit pulsating tremors.

"Hit!"

Silently, a flash of light shot from the bowstring, instantly piercing the space ahead, leaving a vacuum‑like collapse scar.

A Three‑legged Golden Crow‑shaped yang‑energy shield coalesced around the arrow the moment it left the bowstring; the bowstring vibrated as the Three‑legged Golden Crow spread its wings and flew.

Watching the arrow vanish, Sky‑Shooting Demon's mouth twitched into a smile; he truly does cherish fragrance and jade, yet plucking a fresh flower himself is undeniably enthralling.

He widened his eyes, awaiting the moment Lily would be pierced by the arrow, the flower withering and the jade perishing.

In the blink of a finger, the killing arrow crossed a hundred li and descended from the heavens.

Layer upon layer of spell barriers unfolded beneath Lily's feet, forming a massive shield wall.

Yet in a single instant, the arrow pierced the shield wall as thick as a city wall.

A point‑to‑plane, absolutely focused Frenzy attack cannot be resisted by a hastily arranged spell barrier.

Amid a sound like a Golden Crow's cry, the arrow that pierced the shield wall sped up by another three parts.

But the space condensed, and a hand silently grasped the arrow.

Mu Yi casually shaped a localized spatial barrier; after the Six Paths Barrier advanced to a new realm, he gained the ability to control space within a barrier and also to release portions of it.

The barrier space within the palm slowly contracted, the arrow shattered within the compression, then faded away piece by piece.

Meanwhile, a hundred li away, Sky‑Shooting Demon suddenly staggered as if witnessing something unimaginable, his fingertip bleeding despite the vast distance.

"How could this be possible!"

He felt no sensation from the palm's wound; Sky‑Shooting Demon's pupils trembled in disbelief.

"The arrow was caught?"

Whether the arrow is severed, evaded, or fails to kill in a single shot, he can accept it.

After all, he has missed his mark many times over the years.

Once, when confronting the Azure Lotus Sword Master, a sword cut the arrow to pieces.

But this is the first time someone caught it; he doesn't know how they did it, yet undeniably, it's terrifying.

"Danger!" Heaven‑Shaking Demon, arms crossed, suddenly punched Sky‑Shooting Demon away; the sudden surge of force made Sky‑Shooting Demon vomit a large mouthful of blood and fly hundreds of meters.

When he got up, his whole body was exhausted; the delayed perception from the shock finally let him feel the cold killing intent.

It was a cold that could freeze a person's soul.

And at the spot where he had just stood, a blood‑red long spear was planted.

Cracked fissures spread outward like a dead tree, and where the spear struck, all vitality was drained, turning the area into a forbidden dead zone.

"Go, hurry! It's that Azure Lotus Sword Master monster again!"

Sky‑Piercing Demon hoarsely shouted, grabbed Sky‑Shooting Demon and vanished into the void; though a hundred li apart, they felt no safety at that moment.

"He runs really fast!"

Mu Yi tossed his Blood Spear and, seeing the three flee in panic, raised an eyebrow.

"Can you divine their location?" Mu Yi turned to Lily and asked.

"No, my divination is heavily affected within Jiuzhou, making it hard to obtain the desired answer!" Lily shook her head.

"I'm not proficient in divination either!" Mu Yi pinched his fingers anxiously, to no avail.

While carrying out a comprehensive network mission, he seemed unaccepted by Jiuzhou's consciousness, and this world harbored something that could disrupt heavenly mechanisms, rendering his calculations futile.

After all, the opponent is also a high‑level Legend; without a face‑to‑face encounter, he can hardly track them, since he is merely a demi‑god who excels in martial force.

"Let's go, we should meet again!"

Mu Yi shook his head, withdrew his gaze; after witnessing his strength, the so‑called Twelve Heavens Demons should emerge in full force next time.

"Oh, it's now eleven Heavens Demons."

He was quite curious how many high‑level Legends he could handle simultaneously now.

The flight lasted three days and three nights.

They only just covered the so‑called 108,000‑li distance; Mu Yi's winged flight might be a bit faster, but not by much.

Li Taibai produced a jade tablet, apparently estimating the distance.

After a long while, Li Taibai said to Mu Yi and Lily.

"Esteemed seniors, the ruins should be nearby; the master's map only gives a rough location, the rest depends on luck!"

"On the sea... Emerald Touring Palace... Golden Ao Island..."

Mu Yi pondered briefly, then looked beneath the sea surface.

He suspected the so‑called Immortal Trace ruins might be on the back of a living giant Golden Ao, or perhaps an island swallowed by the tides.

After all, based on the available information, he could only speculate to that level.

Li Taibai, meanwhile, took out a notebook, flipping through its pages, hoping to find a clue.