One must confess, Lu Qilang’s sudden appearance had wrenched Jiang Wang from his precarious balance, thrusting him into a realm of chilling peril. The grotesque black lotus tattoo upon the monk’s shaven head had ignited a searing new understanding of the demon race, of the demonic world’s peculiar brand of Buddhism. He felt with ever-growing certainty that Mo Yun City, presided over by one bearing the Heavenly Demon bloodline, was far more intricate than he had initially conceived.

He grew increasingly convinced that the winds of fate were already gathering, unseen and unheard by him. Was the Heavenly Will of the demonic realm subtly stirring the river of destiny? Was his own dead end already looming before him, yet he remained blind to its presence?

From the formidable Demon King Lu Qilang, to the black lotus monk, and the colossal force lurking behind the latter, akin to a hidden reef in the deep sea… Something was undeniably unfolding within this very city, and he remained utterly ignorant! If he were truly this world’s Chosen, he would not be so utterly benighted! But he was an outsider. This world’s inherent rejection permeated everything; his senses of hearing, sight, and feeling were all far too limited.

To forge a path out of this predicament, to grasp that solitary thread of survival, he still needed to leverage the power of this world’s demon race. But the road had already forked before him.

Ape Old West’s control over the Faceless Teach had reached a bottleneck, one inherent to the natural progression of any developing sect. Once a small sect or teach expanded to a certain scale, it inevitably confronted the established authorities, forces on par with the Mo Yun Spider Family or the Ji Lei Cow Family.

It mattered little that the Faceless Teach abstained from blood sacrifice or the abuse of believers, instead guiding them towards virtue, aligning with the tenets of an orthodox teach. The division between orthodox and evil was not solely defined by such deeds; Ape Old West lacked the authority to dictate this. The weak, in their pursuit of faith, were deemed evil!

And the deity he, Jiang Wang, had crafted for the Faceless Teach, the Faceless God, did not genuinely possess the immense power of the ancient Yama God. Nor did the Faceless Teach have a colossal power backing it, unlike the force lurking behind that black lotus evil Buddha. Even within the Faceless Teach itself, he, the sole readily deployable combatant, fundamentally dared not reveal his true face.

Pig Dali’s path of god-slaying and ghost-exterminating had also reached a bottleneck, and that bottleneck was now starkly visible. Such solitary ventures into the night were fraught with the risk of encountering malevolent beasts lurking in the shadows. Organizations similar to the black lotus evil Buddha likely weren’t singular in the demonic realm. And the Taiping Dao was merely an empty shell; Pig Dali could only fight on alone.

Today, he could project a divine imprint to save Pig Dali; tomorrow, he might not be able to. There would always be formidable individuals that even he, acting personally, could not overcome.

Having piloted these three carriages of the demon race’s structure to this point, Jiang Wang looked back and found that Chai A Si’s path held the most promise. Though this fellow had grown a touch too arrogant too soon, a few bumps and knocks could still keep him on track.

Chai A Si, who had previously left no trace, after joining the Flower Fruit Society, did not descend into the same abuses as the earlier Ape Yong. He had begun to make a name for himself through the Jin Yang Martial Fight Society, entering the broader view of the demon race… This was the archetypal path of a commoner genius’s counterattack, the grand and proper route to class ascension within the current social structure.

Barring unforeseen disaster, he would be accepted by the Flower Fruit Society, the Mo Yun Ape Family, Mo Yun City, and indeed, the entire upper world of the demon race.

One might even say that Jiang Wang himself, in his current world, had walked a similar path. From a rural youth, he had risen to become a Marquess of Ba Country. Now, re-examining Chai A Si, he inevitably felt a different resonance.

What was the essence of society? What was the core of a state system? Perhaps these grand questions had no single, perfectly correct answer. But the contemplation derived from these questions fostered a deeper understanding of the world’s essence. What was truth? What was principle? Every transcending cultivator, in their ascent to higher realms, inevitably stood upon a solid foundation of understanding. Not necessarily a “correct” understanding universally applicable across the Four Seas and Myriad Realms, but certainly one that was unique and clearly defined within oneself.

Hidden within the mirror realm, Jiang Wang also utilized his observations and reflections within the demonic world to cultivate his “Dao,” drawing closer to that high, distant, and difficult-to-reach mystical realm.

Pig Dali’s month-long sealing of his blade did not have a significant impact. Firstly, after this period of devouring, his divine soul recovered rapidly. Secondly, the immense amount of ownerless divine power he obtained after incinerating that black lotus monk was enough for him to digest for some time.

It was precisely this digestion of divine power that allowed him to deeply recognize the immeasurable vastness of the black lotus evil Buddha organization, leading him to decisively order Pig Dali to seal his blade.

His divine soul had already recovered to seven or eight tenths, but the injury to his Golden Body and Jade Marrow remained a problem. Like shattered jade, it was difficult to mend; like deficient gold, it was hard to supplement. He had been diligently regulating his cultivation every day, but even now, his physical body had not recovered to two tenths.

Jiang Wang even entertained the thought of wearing a mask and going out, pretending to be the Taiping Judge or some such figure, to rob and kill a few young demon talents and plunder some precious materials… but reason still prevailed.

Thus, he calmed his breath and focused his thoughts, simultaneously digesting divine power, recovering his divine soul, and once again turning his attention to Chai A Si.

Outside the Chai Family’s small courtyard, a knocking sound echoed.

At this moment, Chai A Si was bare-chested in the courtyard, practicing his sword. Every chop, slash, thrust, and lift was executed with extreme seriousness, continuing until sweat poured like rain and his blood flowed vigorously. Though he was a sly, lazy, and greedy fellow with many bad habits, he had, after all, endured hardship and poverty, knowing that opportunities were not easily gained. No matter how arrogant, no matter how unrealistic, when it came to cultivation, he was still willing to put in the effort. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have achieved results with the Hundred Tribulations, Thousand Difficulties Invincible Golden Body transmitted by the great ancient god – that was a skill forged through hammer blow after hammer blow of self-abuse, an act of complete self-torment.

“Who is it?” His sword work didn’t cease, only his voice called out. By now, he could be said to have cultivated a certain demeanor, his words and actions leaning towards those of a true Heaven-Mandated Demon.

A crisp response echoed from outside the door: “Brother A Chai, it’s me.”

The aura of a strong individual instantly dissipated, and Chai A Si grinned: “Eh eh! Coming!” He hurriedly rushed towards the house, wanting to wipe the sweat from his body, find some clothes to put on, and tidy up the room. But midway, an idea struck him, and he immediately halted, turning back to open the door. As he did so, he brandished his sword a few times with forceful swings, the whistling sound expressing the completion of his sword movements. At the same time, he secretly exerted force, making the muscles of his body more clearly defined and firm, allowing the sweat to trace beautiful lines.

Only then did he pull open the courtyard gate and indeed see the captivating Ape Xiao Qing. He also accurately caught Ape Xiao Qing’s shy and admiring gaze.

The old house was remote, and the small alley was devoid of other demons. Only this girl stood gracefully here, lending a touch of brilliance to this dilapidated alley. Chai A Si used a towel to wipe his sweat, pretending to speak casually: “Sister Xiao Qing, what brings you here today?”

Ape Xiao Qing placed both hands behind her back, tilting her head to appraise him: “Brother A Chai is so diligent every day?” Her expression was innocent and pure, but this posture highlighted her exquisite curves and remarkable figure.

Chai A Si forced himself to control his gaze, hoping to portray himself as a gentleman among demons, but his heart and words were not in sync, his speech stumbling: “Uh, I always think of you very much… ah no no, diligent! I like diligence!”

“What are you saying!” Ape Xiao Qing chided him, stamping her foot shyly. But stealing a glance at him, she added: “You’ve never invited me to visit.”

Chai A Si secretly bit his tongue, coming to his senses. He scratched his head and said: “My humble abode is simple, I was embarrassed…”

“I think it’s very nice here!” Ape Xiao Qing, hands behind her back, naturally stepped into the courtyard, looking around curiously: “Very… not messy!”

Chai A Si unconsciously closed the courtyard door, eagerly following behind her.

“Oh, right!” Ape Xiao Qing suddenly turned back, almost bumping into Chai A Si, and giggled. She brought the brocade box she had been hiding behind her back to the front: “Here, I just bought dragon tiger ginseng, it’s very nourishing. You’ve been training hard recently, just use it.”

Dragon tiger ginseng was rare and precious, its price exorbitant. It was unclear how much effort Ape Xiao Qing had expended; perhaps she had used up her entire dowry. But Chai A Si didn’t seem to know the meaning of embarrassment, reaching out to take it: “That’s too embarrassing…”

Yet, he accidentally grasped that warm, soft, jade-like hand. But Ape Xiao Qing did not struggle. He also did not let go.

They stood in the courtyard, hands clasped, looking at each other, a silence more eloquent than words. Chai A Si opened his mouth, just about to speak. Ape Xiao Qing had already raised her head, her shy, flushed face exactly like an early spring flower, bathed in the soft glow of the evening.

“Brother A Chai.” Her voice was incredibly soft, but her eyes held a myriad of rippling waves: “I heard you’ve been collecting Buddhist scriptures recently. What, do you want to become a monk?”

After this period of spending time together, the two demons had already developed affection for each other, exchanging glances, the final layer of the window pane yet to be broken. Originally, there should have been a longer period of coy exchanges. But Chai A Si had inexplicably begun collecting Buddhist sutras, occasionally even reciting Buddhist verses in front of his younger brothers, giving off a distinct air of having seen through the world, which made Ape Xiao Qing feel anxious. Thus, she had come to visit today, just to see if he truly intended to leave home.

“How, how could I, how could I be willing…” Looking at the beautiful female demon close at hand, Chai A Si only felt his mouth and tongue dry, words failing him.

“Not willing what?” Ape Xiao Qing hummed, saying: “I think you might not like…”

Those lightly pursed red lips seemed to hold infinite magic, leaving the world with only a touch of red. A buzzing sound seemed to fill his mind, and as if possessed by ghosts or spirits, Chai A Si directly lowered his head and pecked.

“Don’t… Little Brother Chai…” Ape Xiao Qing’s resistance was very weak, her refusal more like an invitation. Chai A Si picked her up horizontally, his mouth not idle either, and walked passionately towards the house.

Of course, his hands and feet were clumsy and hurried, of course his blood was surging, of course he didn’t care about anything… but the room was too simple after all. Looking up, he saw the shrine, and the precious mirror enshrined within. A skirt flew up, precisely covering the shrine.

“That… Upper Venerable…” A certain great divine spirit monitoring the environment and protecting the Dao for the Heaven-Mandated Demon suddenly heard this voice, still accompanied by panting.

The Upper Venerable did not respond at this moment. A god’s dignity did not permit him to respond in any way. But the voice in Chai A Si’s heart persisted: “Uh… Upper Venerable?”

*What the hell do you want? If you have something to say, spit it out…*

“Spit!” Finally, the Upper Venerable only transmitted back this single word.

Chai A Si asked honestly: “Can you not look?”

The great ancient god suddenly became angry: “What are you saying! How unreasonable! Who do you take this seat for? How could this seat peep at a mere little demon like you? Across the heavens and myriad worlds, through billions of moments, this seat has seen and known so much that I no longer care about such things! You fundamentally don’t understand how low-level carnal desire is! You ignorant little demon, how could you comprehend the wonder of the great Dao!”

“Then…” Chai A Si, panting, said in his heart: “Are there no wonderful dual cultivation methods… the kind that can help one achieve the Dao? Can you teach me a few moves?”

*Wicked beast! Get lost!*

Of course, the great ancient god himself would not be so undignified. In the end, he remained silent, temporarily cutting off the connection.

Lu Qilang, ranked seventh on the Heaven List’s New Kings, personally arrived in Mo Yun City. This news stirred up waves throughout the vast city domain.

Spider Yin, the quite famous young master of the Spider Family, hosted a banquet at the city’s most luxurious Flying Cloud Building. Yu Xin and Ape Meng Ji, two of the Mo Yun Three Talents, also respectfully accompanied him. Quan Xi Hua, who desperately wanted to replace Quan Xi Zai, was even more busy, wagging his tail incessantly. Even the little princess of the Heavenly Pillar Mother’s family, Spider Lan Ruo, appeared at the Flying Cloud Building, drinking and conversing with him!

What kind of demon was Lu Qilang? He was the young city lord of Feather City, the foremost genius of the Divine Fragrance Deer Family, the largest force within the Divine Fragrance Flower Sea! In the demonic realm, only the most powerful families in certain regions were qualified to bear the name of the region. Usually, the size of the region’s name also reflected the family’s strength. The families to which the so-called Mo Yun Three Talents belonged could only be called the Mo Yun Yu Family, the Mo Yun Ape Family, and the Mo Yun Quan Family. Only the Spider Family was qualified to be called the “Tian Xi Spider Family” to the outside world. This meant they were the most powerful family name in the Tian Xi wilderness.

The Divine Fragrance Deer Family was stronger than the Tian Xi Spider Family, not only because the Heavenly Pillar Mother rarely concerned herself with the affairs of Mo Yun City, while the ancestor of the Divine Fragrance Deer Family still resided in the Divine Fragrance Flower Sea. More importantly, the Deer Family’s overall strength was considerable even within the entire demonic realm. Leaving aside the upper-tier combat power, Lu Qilang’s ranking of seventh among the Heaven List’s New Kings, even surpassing Shi Shan Wen, who was a direct descendant of the Heavenly Demon Teacher An Xuan! This hinted at the foundation of the Divine Fragrance Deer Family. Even the earlier Crash Mountain King Lu Qi Yi, who was lost in the Frost Wind Valley and had sealed his king title, was also from the Divine Fragrance Deer Family.

It was no wonder that the arrival of such a top young master in Mo Yun City caused a stir throughout the city.

“Come, come, come, Brother Lu, have a cup of our Mo Yun fine wine!” At this moment, Spider Yin showed no trace of his usual coldness and sternness; his beautiful compound eyes were filled with enthusiasm: “Our Lan Ruo doesn’t often go out!” Although he had arranged the banquet and set the stage, the main seats were not occupied by him, but by Spider Lan Ruo and Lu Qilang facing each other. Who made his bloodline not close enough to the Heavenly Pillar Mother’s? With Spider Lan Ruo’s presence, he could only retreat to the second seat.

Lu Qilang paid no attention to the undercurrents here. He picked up the wine cup and gestured with it, then considered it drunk, casually saying: “This time’s Jin Yang Stage Martial Fight Society, is Miss Lan Ruo not participating?”

Spider Lan Ruo, who was toying with a jade cup, sat with a casual posture, yet even with only her profile visible to the crowd of demons, she fully displayed her heavenly beauty and exquisite charm, an absolute paragon of loveliness.

“Mo Yun City itself has many talented individuals, so I will not show myself.” She said casually: “Speaking of which, Young Master Lu’s pursuit and killing of She Gu Yu across ten thousand li is truly a grand feat. And upon arriving in Mo Yun City, you immediately helped this city eliminate evil. Lan Ruo ought to respect you with a cup.”

Lu Qilang was not participating in the Jin Yang Stage Martial Fight Society; he no longer needed to prove himself in such a place. The so-called grand meeting of the three domains was not a significant event in the entire demonic realm. Spider Lan Ruo’s reasoning was merely a light brushstroke, but her inner pride was evident. You, Lu Qilang, look down on this kind of grand meeting, but do you think I, Spider Lan Ruo, look up to it? Though you walk ahead today, a step faster, I am also here.

Similarly, the world is the high platform, and the myriad kingdoms are the battleground!

“Then this cup of yours is a bit early,” Lu Qilang said calmly: “After all, She Gu Yu has not yet been executed.”

“With the strength of Brother Lu, is that not merely a matter of time?” Spider Yin laughed heartily: “If there is anything we can assist you with, please don’t hesitate to say. In this Tian Xi wilderness, our Spider Family still has some sway.”

Lu Qilang smiled: “Easily said.”

Spider Lan Ruo also smiled: “Then, Young Master Lu, is your trip solely for She Gu Yu?”

Lu Qilang looked at Spider Lan Ruo. In this place, only the two of them were qualified to converse as equals, and only the two of them understood what the other was truly saying. The so-called implied meaning, the intent behind the words.

The fragrance of wine subtly permeated the air. He slowly said: “I have a vague feeling that in this place, in this Tian Xi wilderness, perhaps just in Mo Yun City… there is an opportunity for me.”

Ape Meng Ji, who was seated further down, had a very unpleasant expression. He interpreted these words as Lu Qilang’s confession to Spider Lan Ruo. But he dared not say anything. Although the Heavenly Demon Ape Xian Ting was an absolute powerhouse, he was after all a solitary figure. They were not direct descendants, merely sharing some affection with the ancestor, which could not support their extravagance.

And Yu Xin, who had been drinking, seemed to be unable to withstand the alcohol’s strength and lowered his head. Reflected in the wine’s surface were his eyes, their expression dramatically changing!

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