Chapter 509: Bai Hanwu

Boom—

Sunlight filtered through the thin mist, gently bathing the earth. A deafening crash raised concentric ripples on the clear, calm lake.

The little demon cooling off in the lake, frightened, hurriedly curled into the embrace of the long demon. A trace of worry flashed in its eyes, and the previously abundant laughter and chatter vanished at that moment.

Yunhe stared coldly into Bai Hanwu's wild eyes; their fists collided heavily, carving a clear circular space within the mist‑filled formation. "Your body is fine; I just don't know how long you can hold out!"

Bai Hanwu lightly leapt, beginning with a powerful, heavy downward kick that brushed Yunhe's nose and slammed onto the ground.

The surrounding ground instantly cracked; Bai Hanwu's strike easily shattered the compacted earth into fragments. Fortunately, Yunhe narrowly sidestepped the blow. Bai Hanwu twisted his waist, intending another leg attack, but Yunhe's raised fist surged toward his face; he instantly raised both hands, firmly blocking Yunhe's iron fist.

But he still retreated several steps before shedding Yunhe's force. "I never imagined that a tiny Huanhu Dao could hide such hidden dragons!"

Bai Hanwu brushed the dust off his body, speaking with slight admiration, a faint smile curling his lips, revealing the slowly lengthening sharp fangs in his mouth.

His pupils gradually turned a deep, eerie blue; white hair sprouted slowly on his face and arms, and faint thin black patterns became visible.

The transformation of Bai Hanwu before him truly caught Yunhe off guard; he had never seen a Demon Beast that could simultaneously manifest both human and beast forms like Bai Hanwu! Before Yunhe could react—

Again!

Before the words finished, his fists and kicks arrived; Bai Hanwu's heavy punch struck Yunhe's raised arm, pushing Yunhe back several steps. Seizing the advantage, he followed with a heavy leg, even using his tail for support, delivering continuous kicks that forced Yunhe into a frantic defense.

The situation seemed to tilt into a one‑sided suppression, causing the demons on Huanhu Dao to leap and scramble anxiously for their king.

Damn! Minions.

Bai Ning could no longer stand by and intended to call his subordinate demons to aid Yunhe.

Hold! No one is allowed to go!

Qing Luan's sweet voice was now filled with seriousness.

"Why? We are to help the king!"

A nearby little demon chattered, stepping forward.

"It's not yet time; you should trust your king!"

Qing Luan's gaze remained fixed on the defending Yunhe, speaking lightly without turning her head, clearly still highly confident in Yunhe.

Although Bai Hanwu's attacks grew faster, Yunhe's defense showed no sign of wavering, even becoming increasingly adept.

"Hm?"

A hint of doubt flickered in Bai Hanwu's deep blue pupils; it seemed he had underestimated this opponent. Without his signature skill, he couldn't take down this spirit turtle! He delivered a heavy kick to Yunhe's chest, then used the recoil to spin once in the air, landing nine steps away from Yunhe.

Upon landing, Bai Hanwu's form swelled even larger; his bulging muscles tore the once elegant brocade, and with one hand he ripped the tattered garment apart, tossing it aside.

Yunhe also revealed his peculiar mystic turtle form! He had remained silent the whole time, and now charged toward Bai Hanwu with a comet‑like stride, electric arcs flashing from his mouth as a blue‑white orb materialized. Yet Bai Hanwu did not rush to attack; his pupils shifted slightly, evidently intrigued by Yunhe's unusual Demon Beast body, indicating a special bloodline of an exotic Demon Beast whose future strength would far surpass ordinary ones, making him a valuable capture. However, following that, Yunhe emitted a bolt of lightning from the air; though far weaker than a thunder tribulation, it was still quite irritating.

Bai Hanwu dodged, but his hair was still uncontrollably sparked by static, making him look slightly comical and losing his previous elegance.

In response, Bai Hanwu let out a cold snort, dabbed some saliva, brushed the white hair erupting on his chest, then left a circle of shattered earth at his feet. "Boom—"

Bai Hanwu's heavy punch nudged the Demon Beast Body Yunhe back half a step; compared to Bai Hanwu's half‑demon, half‑human form, Yunhe's primitive beast body seemed less agile.

In close combat he was extremely passive, able only to bite or swipe with claws, but the turtle shell limited him, preventing contact with the nimble Bai Hanwu.

Conversely, each of Bai Hanwu's punches or claw swings carried a gust of forceful wind, leaving slash marks on Yunhe's body. As Yunhe's eyes flickered, when Bai Hanwu flashed into his blind spot, he shouted, "Dharma Image Heaven and Earth!"

Yunhe's body instantly swelled to the size of a small mountain; with a powerful thrust of his four legs, he launched a rapid Mount Tai Press toward the direction Bai Hanwu had just occupied. Bai Hanwu, who was attacking Yunhe's hind leg, failed to react in time; the enlarged Yunhe's former hind leg became a hard rib‑side turtle shell.

Boom—

The ground trembled, and towering water columns erupted from the surrounding lake, showcasing the sheer force of Yunhe's plunge.

When the impact subsided, Yunhe felt the turtle shell tremble slightly, indicating Bai Hanwu was still resisting—a further contest of strength—and steam rose from beneath the shell.

"White Tiger Wave-Dispelling Palm!"

With a "Boom" sound, Yunhe felt his Demon Beast body rotate half a circle in the air, then land steadily on all fours, stepping back two paces, his gaze fixed on Bai Hanwu.

Bai Hanwu's legs were fully embedded in the earth, his breathing ragged; he then strained to pull himself out. "Hahaha! Exhilarating!"

The somewhat disheveled Bai Hanwu suddenly burst into loud laughter, puzzling Yunhe—could he have just been knocked dumb? "That's enough for today! You and I are not mortal foes; since I've recognized your strength, you shall be my friend, Bai Hanwu!"

Bai Hanwu spoke arrogantly, clearly indicating that everything just now was merely an entertaining warm‑up, implying he had not yet exerted his full power against Yunhe.

Although Yunhe hadn't exhausted his reserves, Bai Hanwu still pressed him hard; the two fought only with their bodies, without excessive Demon power or artifacts. If he no longer wishes to fight, let him speak; if he still seeks to negotiate, they can just spar again. After all, Huanhu Dao is riddled with formations, plenty enough for them to drink a pot of wine over!

At this moment, Hei Feng arrived beside Bai Hanwu, fitting him with a new robe. "I am Bai Hanwu, the second son of the Bai family of Tian Yao Cheng, also the lord assigned to this region in this territorial division."

The two exchanged footwork thereafter.

Through Bai Hanwu's introduction, Yunhe roughly grasped their intentions and learned what kind of force Tian Yao Cheng is.

Although the Thus line: Yao Shou Shijie was a land cast down from the Earth Immortal Realm, like the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm it expands gradually, the Thus line: Yao Shou Shijie, having long separated from the Earth Immortal Realm, is also slowly expanding—though its long‑lived beasts scarcely notice.

Usually he just sleeps; upon waking, he wonders, "Is there such a huge plot of land in front of my house?" He decides to sleep a bit more, assuming he misremembered. After waking again, it seems even larger—did he oversleep? He sleeps a bit more. This is the daily life of a border Demon Beast; as a fragment of the Earth Immortal Realm, it naturally retains some relics and secret realms left from the Upper Realm.

Take Tian Yao Cheng, once a capital of the Earth Immortal Realm, long abandoned, but as more shapeshifting Demon Beasts entered, it began to flourish again.

However, most Demon Beasts grew up in barbaric lands without regard for rules, until a group with advanced thinking emerged; they were not only powerful but also highly order‑oriented.

With their governance, Tian Yao Cheng gradually prospered, yet it faced a major issue: although a barter market existed, there was no currency like the Spirit Stones of the cultivation world, making barter inconvenient. Consequently, Yunhe's practice of exchanging Demon Pills for artifacts instantly drew the attention of Tian Yao Cheng's higher‑ups.

But Demon Pills are the life cores of Demon Beasts; they cannot serve as currency, right? The order they upheld would soon crumble!

Yunhe could say little; after all, he needed Demon Pills to refine Elixirs, demanding huge quantities, which led him to sell these scavenged substandard artifacts, inadvertently attracting a powerful faction's scrutiny. Yet Yunhe felt no imminent danger; with his abilities and formation mastery, even if Tian Yao Cheng produced several strongmen like Bai Hanwu, he would not be intimidated!

However, Bai Hanwu's subsequent words sent a chill up Yunhe's spine.

"Originally, the mid‑fifth‑tier city lord intended to meet you personally, but my father dissuaded him, so I was assigned here."

Yunhe also hadn't expected that merely selling a few artifacts and earning some Demon Pills would catch the attention of a mid‑fifth‑tier elder! It seems he wasn't cautious enough; learning that this place might, like the Earth Immortal Realm, be free from heavenly laws, with prospects of advancing…

After hearing Bai Hanwu's description, Tian Yao Cheng seemed a place of reason; if leveraged, perhaps Yunhe could reap great benefits!

"Brother Bai, what do you think?"

Yunhe asked, still not fully letting his guard down. "Daoist friend? Brother Yun is amusing, but exchanging Demon Pills for artifacts must never be done privately…"

"However, Tian Yao Cheng still holds some historic villain Demon Pills; if Brother Yun still has artifacts to sell, Tian Yao Cheng can trade with him."

Bai Hanwu beamed, evidently delighted by Yunhe's inquiry.

Thus, Yunhe fully understood Tian Yao Cheng's intention: they planned to monopolize his artifacts, which is why this place existed. Logically, Huanhu Dao is far from Tian Yao Cheng; after so many years no one paid attention to this spot, yet as soon as he appeared, they sensed his presence.

Now Yunhe understands, but the current Yunhe still cannot contend with Heavenly Demon City, after all a fifth‑rank demonic beast is no joke.

Moreover, after acquiring Dan Pavilion, Yunhe's demand for demon pills has increased dramatically; coincidentally, this trip to the Vermilion Bird Secret Realm also yielded many treasures, so exchanging more is fine, but this will inevitably cause them to suspect the origin of the magical artifacts. How should one deal with that when the time comes? Yunhe's thoughts kept bubbling up, yet outwardly he still dealt with Bai Hanwu.

"Daoist Bai, your intention touches my heart, but our previous trades were numerous, and now only a handful of magical artifacts remain; I fear it is not worth a special trip for you."

"Brother Yun, you jest, I have come mainly to convey the City Lord's message to you, not to covet your magical artifacts."

Bai Hanwu still wore a bright smile; as the two exchanged words, both silently cursed in their hearts, "Old fox!"

"Since Bai has already conveyed the City Lord's intent, I shall take my leave now; I have been a great disturbance today, please forgive me, Brother Yun."

"Not at all, Daoist Bai has traveled from afar, he is a guest; it is I, Yun, who have been poor hosts. Poor hosts."

The two bowed; one had no intention of truly leaving, the other genuinely did not wish to stay.

The air fell silent for a moment.

"Hahaha. Then Bai, shall you take your leave first?"

"Hahaha. Yun, see you off."

"Please."

"Please."

Watching Bai Hanwu's figure recede, Yunhe's complexion grew cold. He had long anticipated such trouble, yet did not expect it to become so serious that he had to leave some trace explaining the artifact's origin, lest someone interrogate later. Yunhe thought this as Bai Hanwu, who was gradually moving away, instantly suppressed his smile and returned to his previously unruffled demeanor, saying, "Young Master, you let him go like that? If we had gone together, we could surely have captured him."

The androgynous man spoke, seeming somewhat displeased with the Second Young Master's decision, seeing that Bai Hanwu ignored him, and continued, "If the Eldest Young Master..."

But before he could finish his sentence, a hand blade shrouded in dark aura slashed through; the androgynous man felt his vision flip, first seeing the Second Young Master's grim face, then his own headless body. "Snap"

The head hit the ground, yet the body kept thrashing, as if trying to retrieve the lost head. Then a ball of black flame ignited at the wound, spreading over the entire body; the androgynous man's body seemed to suffer immense pain in an instant, struggling, and turned into a cloud of ash.

The accompanying Black Wind and Black Crow quickly lowered their heads, daring not to look at Bai Hanwu at that moment.

"Damned thing, who gave you the nerve to point fingers and dictate!"

The Second Young Master, his face twisted grotesquely, stamped heavily on the ash on the ground; after a brief vent, he returned to Wanli Great Mountain, accompanied by Black Wind, Black Crow, and the unconscious Ang Xiong.

(End of Chapter)