Chapter 508: Mist

Thump thump. thump. thump.

On the fire‑filled sand dunes, a terrifying horned monster chased a streak of five‑colored light in the sky.

Just now, as Yunhe was about to rush to the Divine Palace, he encountered a Sheep‑eating Beast that had escaped from the Prison Demon Tower; the two took an instant dislike and immediately went all out: "This Sheep‑eating Beast is really hard to kill."

Yunhe glanced at the Sheep‑eating Beast hot on his heels; his earlier sword test showed that even his newly upgraded Five‑Phase Thunder Sword could not pierce its hide, so he abandoned the idea of killing it. As for a soul attack, Yunhe felt it unnecessary—judging from the earlier Abyss Beast trial, perhaps the lower the intelligence, the less affected by soul attacks.

This Sheep‑eating Beast doesn't look very bright, and after being wounded by Yunhe it quickly forgot the pain and started shouting that it wanted to eat sheep. With Yunhe's escape technique, he could easily shake off the non‑flying Sheep‑eating Beast.

However, many forces have entered the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm, and most of them are not friendly.

But since we're here, we ought to prepare a gift for everyone.

"A human cultivator!"

A demon cultivator saw Yunhe charging straight at them, instantly summoned his treasure and attacked; just as Yunhe was about to collide with the demon cultivator's treasure, a purple arc flashed, the space around Yunhe twisted, and the next moment he appeared several li behind the demon cultivator.

"Where is the person?"

The two demon cultivators whose strike missed still hadn't figured out what had happened.

"Over there!!"

Turning their heads, they saw Yunhe already standing where they had been: "What's going on? Was that just an illusion?"

Suddenly the sky darkened.

A demon cultivator about to raise his head saw a pair of huge feet about to land on his face—"Boom!"

Before he could react, the demon cultivator's head was crushed by the Sheep‑eating Beast's elephant‑like foot, turning into a headless avian corpse—"Damn it."

Seeing the bloody scene before them, another demon cultivator turned pale, took two steps back intending to flee, when a pair of large hands suddenly grabbed his head; startled, the demon cultivator instantly shifted into his true form—he was a leopard‑spirit, and his sharp claws raked white marks across the Sheep‑eating Beast's arm—"Sheep."

The leopard demon's struggles grew weaker and weaker, and soon there was no movement at all.

"Crack crack crack."

Only the sound of the Sheep‑eating Beast gnawing on corpses remained. "Master, this isn't right, is it?"

Watching the brutal scene not far off, Old Gourd swallowed a spit and finally understood what Yunhe had been doing by leading the Sheep‑eating Beast around.

Yunhe said nothing; after the Sheep‑eating Beast had taken a few bites of the two demon beasts' corpses, he flashed to its side and said, "Let's go, the next guest is still waiting."

——————I am the divider——————

It is worth noting that the Sheep‑eating Beast attacked the demon cultivators, ate their flesh but refused the demon cores, spitting them out as if disgusted;

whereas when facing Abyss cultivators, it completely ignored the Abyss Beast's attacks and charged straight at the Abyss cultivator whose face was deathly pale.

Along the way, Yunhe encountered no human cultivators, which struck him as odd—although he wouldn't bring the Sheep‑eating Beast to harass strangers among humanity.

But if he could meet acquaintances, or even those few he bore grudges against, Yunhe wouldn't mind greeting the Sheep‑eating Beast to give them a proper welcome! Walking and stopping along the road, Yunhe felt that the closer he got to the Divine Palace, the fewer cultivators there seemed to be, as if none lingered near it.

"Looks like most of the cultivators planning to enter the Divine Palace's interior are already in place. It's time to go."

Yunhe thought to himself, lifted his storage bag which was now even fuller than before, stopped teasing the Sheep‑eating Beast that had been tailing him, and sped full‑tilt toward the Divine Palace.

"Hungry, want to eat sheep."

The panting Sheep‑eating Beast bellowed, trying to catch up to Yunhe as he vanished from sight, but could only stop in a daze.

——————I am the divider——————

The Vermilion Bird Divine Palace lies at the northernmost point of the Fire Region; this is where the Nanming Lihuo Shenjun cultivated, and it is the highest spot in the whole Fire Region—the nearer the Divine Palace, the higher the temperature.

Cultivators like Yunhe, a Yuan Ying cultivator, have long mastered the divine power of immunity to cold and heat, and even the robes they wear basically possess similar functions.

However, the flames in the Divine Palace differ from ordinary fire; they are divine fire that makes cultivators' souls feel scorching heat, and consequently their souls cannot extend outward. "Master, once you reach the Divine Palace, go straight to the southeast palace—there the Divine Lord left a gift for posterity!"

Old Gourd said this mysteriously to Yunhe, but when Yunhe asked what the gift was, Old Gourd shook his head and didn't say; Yunhe didn't press further, and the Jade Slip contained no mention of what might be inside the Divine Palace.

It only mentioned that the main hall might hold the Vermilion Bird's true spirit essence blood, and added the cooperation previously proposed by the Red Phoenix Clan,

this rumor, Yunhe believed it to about seventy‑percent true: according to the tale, the Divine Lord's Divine Palace stores elixirs that can extend a Yuan Ying cultivator's lifespan, and even a God‑Transformation Pill.

When this news spread, it's no wonder these cultivators scrambled to storm the Divine Palace; moreover, because of the rumor, no powerful cultivators have been seen on the Pill or Instrument Regions—but Yunhe sees clearly that a rumor is just a rumor; if even the Jade Slip calculated by Senior Brother Yuan doesn't mention it, how could he believe it?

Therefore, Yunhe's purpose for this trip is crystal clear: the Vermilion Bird's true spirit essence blood!

When Yunhe arrived at the foot of the Divine Palace mountain, many cultivators had already set up camp and were resting; upon landing, he felt several gazes upon him—both hostile and friendly. It seemed many acquaintances were lightly bowing to figures like the Jinling King, while he ignored the hostility, for with so many enemies he knew exactly who they were, and even the Red Phoenix Clan's leader Hongchen, though he glanced at Yunhe, quickly looked away lest anyone notice their connection.

Since the two had already reached an agreement, Yunhe's arrival here was the best outcome; having just found a place to rest, he heard someone call him.

"Fellow Daoist Yun!"

A lovely figure waved at him with a hint of joy—it was the Purple Robe True Lord who had entered the secret realm.

"Fellow Daoist Purple Robe, long time no see."

Yunhe rose and returned the salute to the Purple Robe True Lord, but as she approached he saw her situation was not good—she still had two wounds that had not healed.

Obviously, deprived of the Formless Sword Lord's protection, some petty scoundrels began targeting her—"True Lord, your journey has been full of obstacles; Yun truly admires you!"

This is no mere polite talk; Yunhe's admiration for the Purple Robe True Lord is genuine—from jointly fighting to destroy the Abyss Clan's secret plot, to later when the Formless Sword Lord ambushed the Sea Clan and went missing, during which time they had also taken great care of him.

"Fellow Daoist Yun, if you're well then I'm fine; Purple Robe takes my leave."

Yunhe wanted to say more, but suddenly felt a fierce gaze fixed on them; the Purple Robe True Lord seemed to notice as well, grew a little dim, clasped his hands and prepared to leave, evidently not wanting to drag Yunhe into her troubles.

"True Lord, wait!"

Yunhe took out two bottles of elixir he had obtained from Old Gourd that aid in breath regulation and healing wounds, intending to give them to the Purple Robe True Lord.

"Fellow Daoist Yun, you mustn't—elixirs are precious; you yourself need to stock up more."

Seeing the Purple Robe True Lord wave her hands in refusal again and again, Yunhe firmly placed the elixir in her hand: "Please accept my goodwill, Miss Purple Robe—I will short‑change no one, least of all myself." Yunhe was originally a senior alchemist, and on this trip he had also been acknowledged as master of the Divine Lord's Pill Pavilion, so these healing and regulating elixirs were naturally abundant.

Unlike the Purple Robe True Lord and the Formless Sword Lord, these sword cultivators are penniless; the only thing they can bring out is probably that one sword whose cold light shines across the nine provinces. Seeing Yunhe's sincere gaze, the Purple Robe True Lord lowered her head slightly, averting that scorching look.

"Then Purple Robe will accept it—thank you, fellow Daoist."

Watching the Purple Robe True Lord turn and depart, Yunhe felt a mix of emotions; both of them are trouble‑prone folk who can barely look after themselves, let alone drag others in. A minor incident—afterward, a Yuan Ying cultivator or two who recognized Yunhe's name came to visit, but they too soon left.

After all, who knows whether, upon entering the Divine Palace for that slim hope and chance, friends will still be friends and brothers still brothers?

Yunhe had plenty to worry about on this trip; along the way he saw no trace of the Corpse Soul Gu, nor many Abyss cultivators, and he didn't know if they were hatching some other plot—then the Yellow Spring Old Ancestor showed up, and among those hostile glances at the start was his share.

However, the Yellow Spring Old Ancestor at this time did not display strong killing intent.

In addition, the Mystic Void Daoist among the many experts of the Dao Alliance gave Yunhe a strange feeling, forcing Yunhe to take some precautions against him.

With that thought, Yunhe stopped thinking too much about these matters, communicated again with Lao Hulu about the detailed features of the palace to the southeast, then began to quietly regulate his breath so as to enter the divine palace in his peak state. ——————I am the dividing line——————

Under the scorching sun, most of the demon beasts on Huanhu Dao were avoiding the heat in the lake; the mountains were clear and the waters beautiful, birds sang and flowers fragrant, very pleasant.

"The Second Young Master of the White Tiger Hall of Heavenly Demon City has arrived!"

A harsh sound came from not far away, obviously the hoarse voice of the Black Crow.

"They're back again."

"It's fine, the King has already returned; this time they'll have a good look."

"They'll have a good look."

"They'll have a good look."

The great demon in the lake soothed the emotions of the little demons, causing a burst of joy.

"Hey there, spirit turtle, come out quickly to greet the Second Young Master!"

Ang Xiong shouted loudly with his big voice, but they did not rashly rush into Huanhu Dao, apparently wary of Yunhe's formation: "I don't know whether you are friends or foes; what brings you to seek this seat?"

Yunhe's voice passed through the thin mist formed by the formation, sounding extremely ethereal.

"Our master has arrived; you don't come out to greet him—are you intending to be enemies of Heavenly Demon City?"

The effeminate man flicked out a snake tongue, his eyes full of malice.

Yunhe did not reply; although he did not yet know the backgrounds of these few demons before him, he could sense that the greatest threat came from the seemingly frail young lord, followed by the black‑tower man beside him.

The two demons who had just spoken were not yet in Yunhe's regard.

Just two moving demon cores—"Damn it, dare to call oneself this seat? Too arrogant! This turtle doesn't know good from bad, Second Young Master, let us go confront this shrinking‑head turtle!"

Ang Xiong's temper was explosive; in an instant he blew up, shouting that he wanted to teach Yunhe a lesson.

Meanwhile, the effeminate man gave Bai Zhanwu a barely perceptible glance, then glanced twice at Ang Xiong the fool, silently retreated two steps; seeing the Second Young Master still had no reaction, he merely fixed his gaze on a spot in the thin mist, as if making eye contact with someone.

Yunhe within the formation also didn't expect that this Second Young Master was no ordinary demon cultivator, actually able to meet his gaze through the shielding formation; when their eyes met, it seemed as if sparks flew.

"Ahhh, you've made us furious—I'll take you on first!"

Seeing that the Second Young Master had given no orders for a long time, Ang Xiong thumped his furry chest twice and then charged into the formation, shouting "Ang Xiong!"

Heifeng beside Bai Zhanwu wanted to speak up to stop him, but the Second Young Master waved a hand to stop him: "Ang Xiong's temper is too great; he ought to be properly disciplined."

Bai Zhanwu spoke slowly and plainly, then slowly walked to the edge of the formation: "Is it you? You've got a lot of nerve."

"Boom" "Clang" "Thud"

After hearing a few sounds, Ang Xiong's huge reverted form was thrown out; only to see Bai Zhanwu's frail body actually catch the giant Ang Xiong with one hand, step back slightly to relieve the force, and toss the heavily injured, unconscious Ang Xiong to the side.

"I've heard that the spirit turtle of Huanhu Dao possesses many treasures and is highly skilled in formations; today I see, indeed the reputation is not undeserved."

Bai Zhanwu smiled faintly and lightly clapped his hands.

"Heh, if you wish to trade, this seat welcomes you!"

"But if you want to seize this seat's treasures, you'd better weigh yourselves!"

After Yunhe finished speaking, he began to operate the formation; the originally thin mist gradually grew thick, and black shadows occasionally appeared within the formation.

"We have come today to invite you to join us."

"My unworthy acceptance was rather rash; I still need to thank you for your instruction."

Yet Bai Zhanwu bowed slightly and said, this is the demon cultivator Yunhe has seen in the Thus line: Yao Shou Shijie that most resembles a human.

"Join? You're just trying to skim some profit from this seat, aren't you?"

Yunhe spoke with some mockery: "What nonsense about joining; after joining, what rank would he hold? What percentage could he get from selling his treasures? Probably they'd all be siphoned off by this human‑looking thing before him."

Although Yunhe did not yet know the strength of Heavenly Demon City, he had built such a foundation that not just anyone could come and occupy it.

"It seems there is some misunderstanding among us."

Bai Zhanwu said calmly, the corners of his mouth slightly turning up.

In the Thus line: Yao Shou Shijie, strength is supreme; although Heavenly Demon City appears somewhat more civilized than other demon beast locales, there are still some unwritten rules.

If you can settle a matter with your fists, don't waste words! Fight first, then talk! Having spirit is always better than having none.

The two were separated by thick mist, yet their gazes seemed to lock onto each other.

(End of chapter)