Chapter 397: Encounter with Demon Cultivators

The black‑clothed guide then warned Ye Liuyun: "Although the higher‑ups of the Dark Night Demon Hall do not yet give you much attention, because Qu Chen Feng named you and Grand Elder Zeng Fandu of the Southern Region Yin Ghost Sect has also mentioned you, you are now a primary target of the Dark Night Demon Hall's pursuit."

"You must leave quickly; they have already traced you to the Southern Region. Though they don't know your exact location, once they set up an encirclement, it will be hard for you to move again."

Ye Liuyun thought for a while and felt that Alliance Leader Cheng Yi had no reason to deceive him; Cheng Yi himself is the Dean of the Saint Martial Academy. As for the Ye Clan, it cannot always survive under Ye Liuyun's protection; it also needs to endure setbacks and turmoil. So he finally resolved to leave the Five Regions at once.

Go out, become stronger. When he returns someday, he will be fearless.

Thinking of this, Ye Liuyun directly bid farewell to the guide, then immediately left the city and boarded a Flying Boat.

However, he did not take a straight path. Since his movements were already exposed, there would surely be ambushes at the Southern Region border. Ye Liuyun planned to head first to the Eastern Region, then go south from there.

Ye Liuyun's Flying Boat was fast and flying east, so for a while no one noticed his trail. Some Demon Cultivators in the Southern Region, after closely monitoring locally for a time, thought he had slipped away and gradually lowered their vigilance.

This time he was even more cautious, avoiding even Wanbaoge and Shuiyue Tower, lest his whereabouts be exposed. For a moment, the entire Five Regions believed he had left these lands.

As more sects joined the Dark Night Demon Hall, its influence grew, and most sects chose to surrender. Their suppression of other sects became increasingly severe.

Demon Sound Hall, as an independent sect, had never taken part in the conflicts between the righteous and Demon Cultivators. Yet this time, they also had to make a choice.

The Dark Night Demon Hall had already issued them a final ultimatum and sent a Heavenly Gang Eightfold Elder to severely wound the Master of Demon Sound Hall. If they did not submit, they would likely not escape slaughter.

"Fight them to the end!"

"Right! We vow to defend the sect to death!"

Inside the Grand Hall of Demon Sound Hall, a group of frail women suddenly exuded a tragic, heroic aura.

The Master of Demon Sound Hall looked at the disciples with satisfaction, but ultimately shook his head.

"Everyone, retreat! We surrender!" the Master sighed, then said to Su Miaoyin, "Miaoyin, you stay."

The others exited the hall one by one, leaving only Su Miaoyin inside.

"Miaoyin, leave the Five Regions! Go to the Southern Region's Tianyin Hall to cultivate in hardship; when your cultivation improves, return to rescue Demon Sound Hall," the Master said, coughing up two mouthfuls of blood, clearly badly wounded.

Su Miaoyin looked at the Master's pallid face and said reluctantly, "Master, at a time like this, how could I abandon Demon Sound Hall? Demon Sound Hall is my home! I would rather die fighting for it than abandon everyone."

"Silly girl, I have watched you grow, so I know your feelings for Demon Sound Hall. This is not a time for sentiment; you are the only hope for Demon Sound Hall. Otherwise, Demon Sound Hall will never see daylight."

The Master of Demon Sound Hall took out a letter and handed it to Su Miaoyin, clearly prepared in advance. "Take this letter to Elder Lian Yu of Tianyin Hall; she will send people to rescue us. As for you, stay at Tianyin Hall to cultivate. Do not exceed the Heavenly Gang Realm, and do not return to Demon Sound Hall."

The Master paused, "Do not worry about Demon Sound Hall; once we surrender, the Dark Night Demon Hall will not do anything to us. Remember, you are Demon Sound Hall's sole hope. Leave here immediately, don't delay, lest the Dark Night Demon Hall send people to hunt you down."

Upon hearing that she was to seek aid, Su Miaoyin agreed. She left Demon Sound Hall at once and hurried south.

When Su Miaoyin left, Demon Sound Hall also surrendered to the Dark Night Demon Hall. Publicly, however, they claimed Su Miaoyin had defected from Demon Sound Hall and her whereabouts were unknown. Thus the Dark Night Demon Hall immediately issued a manhunt, seeking her everywhere.

But Su Miaoyin lacked a Flying Boat like Ye Liuyun, so soon after, some Demon Cultivators discovered her trail and gave chase.

Ye Liuyun took a roundabout route to the East and found that many sects there had already pledged allegiance to the Dark Night Demon Hall. Thus he proceeded with great caution. Yet in recent days, he noticed many Demon Cultivators gathering at the nearby border.

"Could it be that I've been discovered?"

He harbored secret doubts. Then he made a bold decision: abandoning his boat, he went on foot to capture a few Demon Cultivators and perform Soul Search to learn the situation.

After Soul Searching a few Demon Cultivators, he learned they were intercepting fleeing disciples of various sects at the border. Many sects, aligning with Demon Sound Hall, sent their most promising disciples to the Outer Region to avoid the Dark Night Demon Hall's deadly grasp.

As for Ye Liuyun himself, the Dark Night Demon Hall had long assumed he had fled beyond the borders, and now no one paid him any attention.

Ye Liuyun also learned of Su Miaoyin's situation. Not far from his location lay a deathly secret realm called the Life Forbidden Zone by the Eastern Region folk. It is said that none who enter ever emerge alive, not even Heavenly Gang elites. Su Miaoyin, pursued to a dead end, fled into it.

Ye Liuyun rushed there; fortunately it wasn't far, perhaps he could still rescue Su Miaoyin. Everyone was fleeing, so he would save what he could. Moreover, Su Miaoyin was a decent person, almost a friend, and he couldn't bear to watch her die without helping.

To deceive the ubiquitous Demon Cultivators, Ye Liuyun stopped hiding, released Wu Qingcheng and Lei Ming, turning Lei Ming into a human form; the three, all cloaked in black robes, pretended to be Demon Cultivators—a master and two servants—rushing toward the Life Forbidden Zone.

Outside the Life Forbidden Zone, dozens of Demon Cultivators blocked the entrance to prevent Su Miaoyin from escaping. Some guards on the perimeter, seeing Ye Liuyun stride in boldly, surprisingly did not step forward to inspect.

Usually many Demon Cultivators are capricious, quick to kill, so unless absolutely necessary they avoid provoking other Demon Cultivators. Moreover, Ye Liuyun came with two maidservants, clearly of status, so the outer guards, being low‑rank, dared not intervene.

Ye Liuyun exploited this mindset, allowing him to stride in flamboyantly.

But upon reaching the inner defenses, a Heavenly Gang Realm elite emerged to question them. "Who are you? Which sect are you from? What business do you have here?"

"Hmph, a bunch of trash, so many of you, yet you can't catch a single woman!" Ye Liuyun said in a hoarse voice, mocking.

The first Heavenly Gang elite who spoke was immediately devoured by Ye Liuyun's Spiritual Soul Attack, his soul consumed, and his corpse fell from the sky.