Chapter 146: Heifeng Ridge

The Demon King, hearing this, became interested; he looked at Zhang Yi with a beaming smile and nodded in approval.

He said, "Not bad, talent is emerging among the younger generation."

He paused, then asked, "Young man, your name is Zhang Yi, right? If you capture the traitor this time, what reward do you want?"

Zhang Yi rubbed his belly and said with a simple, honest smile, "Your Majesty, I... I am always hungry, so I just want something to eat."

The Demon King laughed heartily upon hearing this and said, "Just that?"

Nudi pinched Zhang Yi's arm hard and scolded in a low voice, "Can you have a little ambition?"

Zhang Yi scratched his head and said to the Demon King with embarrassment, "Food is the most important thing for the people, heh heh."

This simple and honest demeanor of his made many Demon Race experts in the hall cover their mouths to stifle their laughter, and even Nudi, who had been keeping a straight face, could not help but let the corners of her mouth lift slightly.

The Demon King was left between laughter and tears; he pointed at Zhang Yi and said to He Lao, "He Lao, after this matter is concluded, take this kid to my treasury and let him eat his fill. If he gets thin from hunger, I will hold you responsible!"

He Lao hurriedly bowed and accepted the order: "This old subject obeys the decree."

He secretly glanced at Zhang Yi, thinking that this kid was truly lucky to be held in such high regard by the Demon King.

The Demon King looked at Zhang Yi again, a flash of sharp light in his eyes: "Young man, your name is Zhang Yi, right? Are you willing to work for me?"

Zhang Yi was ecstatic; this was a chance to ascend to the heavens in a single step!

He hurriedly knelt to salute, his tone resonant and powerful: "This subject is willing to serve Your Majesty with the loyalty of a dog or horse!"

The Demon King nodded with satisfaction, then summoned several Demon Race generals and instructed them to fully cooperate with Zhang Yi and the others in capturing the traitor. Afterward, he announced the end of the court session.

The crowd dispersed one after another, and Zhang Yi, Nudi, and the others followed He Lao to a secluded side hall.

He Lao's expression was grave as he told them the ins and outs of the matter in detail and brought out some clues regarding the traitor—a few black feathers that emitted a faint demonic aura.

"This traitor is named Heifeng; he is an Elder of the Demon Race. His strength is unfathomable, and he is sinister and cunning, having hidden himself very deeply all this time."

He Lao pointed at the feathers and said, "These feathers were found in the secret chamber he frequented, and they are stained with the unique aura of the Demon Race."

"Elder Heifeng?"

Nudi's delicate brows furrowed, "I have met him a few times. This person is extremely calculating; I never expected him to be a traitor."

Zhang Yi rubbed his chin and asked, "He Lao, besides his great strength, is there anything special about this Heifeng?"

He Lao sighed and said, "He is proficient in a secret technique called 'Shadow Escape,' which allows him to merge into shadows and come and go without a trace, making him extremely difficult to track."

"Moreover, he is skilled in using a magic treasure called the 'Demon Soul Banner,' which can control the spirits of the dead; he is very troublesome."

"Demon Soul Banner?"

Zhang Yi felt a chill in his heart; this was not something easy to deal with.

However, this thing sounded quite exciting; if he could seize and refine it for his own use, that would be great.

Perhaps He Lao saw Zhang Yi's little thoughts.

He Lao hurriedly advised, "It is best not to recklessly refine things from the Demon Race; it is very easy to suffer a cultivation deviation and be doomed eternally!"

Zhang Yi nodded, though he felt disdain in his heart.

Afterward, He Lao took out several strangely shaped magic treasures and handed them to Zhang Yi and the others, "These are 'Tracking Talismans' and 'Demon-Breaking Awls,' which can be used to track Heifeng and break his Demon Soul Banner."

Zhang Yi took the magic treasures and examined them carefully.

"He Lao, please rest assured, we will definitely go all out to bring Heifeng to justice!"

Zhang Yi said in a firm tone.

The clue provided by He Lao was an ancient sheepskin map, on which the location of "Heifeng Ridge" was marked with the unique script of the Demon Race.

After bidding farewell to He Lao, Zhang Yi and the others immediately rushed toward the outskirts of the Yao Capital without stopping.

Flying over rolling mountains and crossing surging rivers, they finally arrived at the location marked on the map.

"Heifeng Ridge..."

Zhang Yi looked at the gloomy mountain range before him and muttered to himself, "It truly lives up to its name."

Heifeng Ridge had steep terrain and jagged rocks, and the mountain was shrouded in a thick fog all year round, as if it were a dormant giant beast, emitting a heart-palpitating aura.

"This place is indeed filled with demonic energy; it seems Heifeng is nearby."

Nudi's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she vigilantly observed the surroundings.

Zhang Yi took a Tracking Talisman inscribed with complex runes from his bosom and silently recited an incantation.

The talisman paper ignited without wind, turning into a wisp of blue smoke that circled in the air for a moment before condensing into a faint red light that pointed toward the depths of Heifeng Ridge.

"Let's go!"

Zhang Yi waved his hand and took the lead, walking in the direction pointed out by the red light.

Nudi followed closely behind and asked in a low voice, "Are you sure this Tracking Talisman works? This Heifeng Ridge is so eerie; I always feel like something is wrong."

Zhang Yi observed the surrounding environment while saying, "Don't worry, this Tracking Talisman was personally given to me by He Lao; it will definitely not go wrong."

"I hope so."

Nudi felt a faint sense of unease in her heart.

As they delved deeper, the surrounding fog grew thicker, and visibility became lower and lower.

A cold wind whistled past, as if countless wronged souls were whispering in their ears, making one's hair stand on end.

"Careful!"

Zhang Yi suddenly stopped and reached out to block Nudi behind him, "There seems to be something ahead."

"What is it?" Nudi asked.

Zhang Yi narrowed his eyes and observed the front carefully; he saw a huge black shadow vaguely appearing in the fog, shaped like a tall tower.

"What is that?" Nudi also saw the black shadow, and her heart grew even more uneasy.

"We'll know once we go over and take a look," Zhang Yi said as he continued to walk forward.

As they drew closer, the black shadow gradually became clear.

That was indeed a tall tower, pitch-black all over, exuding a dense Demon Race aura.

The tower body was carved with all sorts of bizarre patterns, looking incomparably eerie.

"This place... seems to be the lair of Heifeng."

Zhang Yi said.

"Let's go in and take a look," Nudi said, and was about to step into the tower.

"Wait!" Zhang Yi grabbed Nudi, "I say, my dear lady, you are too reckless. Truly, ignorance is fearless; do you even know what is inside? You're just barging in!"

Nudi rolled her eyes, "Are you afraid? If you're afraid, stay here; this Nudi will go in alone!"

"You?" Zhang Yi was speechless for a moment.

"I've already come this far, what is there to be afraid of? I mean, we can't be reckless, we have to be careful."

As he spoke, Zhang Yi took a jade talisman from his bosom, crushed it, and threw it into the air.

The jade talisman transformed into a golden light, shrouding the tall tower within it.

"This is..."

Nudi looked at Zhang Yi in confusion.

"A Demon-Breaking Talisman," Zhang Yi explained, "it can break through some simple Demon Race restrictions."

After the golden light flickered for a moment, the Demon Race aura around the tall tower gradually dissipated, revealing the true appearance of the tower gate.

"Let's go!" Zhang Yi waved his hand and walked toward the inside of the tower first.