With a mischievous intent, Qi Ze not only refrained from revealing himself to his beloved but also donned a ceremonial robe to completely conceal his identity, curious to see how events would unfold. Yan Junyu sensed something but, after scanning with his divine sense, found nothing amiss and continued on his path.
The once-majestic Spirit Water Palace on the mountain peak was now in ruins. Hundreds of sword cultivators hovered in the sky, preventing anyone from escaping or approaching.
"Here stands the Myriad Swords Sect; who dares to intrude?" Spotting a tall man leisurely approaching the mountain gate, a sword cultivator unleashed a streak of sword qi, striking just before the man's toes. If the stranger took another step, the next sword would not be a warning but a decapitation.
Several demonoids displayed enraged expressions, shouting, "What Myriad Swords Sect nonsense! The Demon Lord is here, how dare you act recklessly! If you wish to live, hand over Qi Ze immediately, or we will raze this mountain to the ground!" Their threat was not idle; many demon realm experts followed in their wake, guarding the Demon Lord in secret. If they could catch the Demon Lord's attention and earn his favor, what resources would be out of reach?
"The Demon Lord?" The leading sword cultivator was shocked inwardly, scrutinizing the man and growing more aghast. The four major demon sects had already declared their intent to make the old demon the Demon Lord. Could he be the one before their eyes? To tear open the primordial immortal's barrier and possess such cultivation, just how powerful was he?
But before he could formulate a response, a youth behind him swung his sword with all his might, sneering, "Demon Lord? You came at the right time! Today, you shall taste the might of the Myriad Swords Sect! Brother, why are you hesitating? Form the Ten Extremes Sword Array!" Before his words faded, sword qi brimming with lethal intent was already upon the man.
The sword cultivator, alerted by him, immediately issued commands, "Zhao Lin, Meng Chao, Jiang Zhonghan... Form the Ten Extremes Sword Array! The rest will cover from the sides, ready to fill any gaps in the formation!"
"Yes!" The sword cultivators whose names were called out chorused their assent. The others retreated to the side, on full alert. Though the Ten Extremes Array was not yet fully formed, the atmosphere was already suffused with a chilling aura.
But in the next moment, the youth's courage was extinguished by the man's casual gesture. With a gentle wave of his wide sleeves, he dispersed the sword qi and, with a pointed finger, pierced the youth's forehead, causing him to plummet from the sky. Then, he summoned countless vines that ensnared the hundreds of sword cultivators in a purple web, draining them into withered corpses. Each move was executed in a blink, leaving not a single disciple of the arrogant Myriad Swords Sect alive. More people, hearing the commotion, rushed out only to be devoured by the writhing vines.
The once sword-riddled Spirit Water Palace was now eerily silent. The demonoids, who had intended to eliminate the sword cultivators for the Demon Lord, were filled with awe and lowered their heads, their breathing softening. How long would it take to destroy a third-rate sect? For top-tier sects like the Myriad Swords Sect or the Blood Demon Sect, a day and a night would suffice; but with the Demon Lord, he could exterminate an entire sect single-handedly in an instant.
The demonoids became even more apprehensive, hastily clearing the path littered with corpses and ashes for the Demon Lord.
"The person I'm looking for is not here." Yan Junyu probed the Spirit Water Palace with his divine sense, disappointed.
"Dad, there's good stuff here." Number One stepped on the bricks beneath his feet.
"If you want it, take it." Yan Junyu knew the brat was avaricious but did not stop him, turning to the demonoids and waving his hand. "Everything in this sect belongs to whoever finds it."
"The mountain gate was taken down by the Demon Lord; naturally, the treasures within belong to you. We dare not touch them." Normally, the demonoids would fight tooth and nail for these things, but they did not dare to be presumptuous before the Demon Lord.
"I don't have my eye on these trifles." Yan Junyu, as he spoke, walked toward the rear mountain, finding a small courtyard and sighing, "Indeed, I'm too late." There was still a trace of his beloved's scent lingering here, but it was fading fast.
The demonoids, granted permission by the Demon Lord, meticulously searched the Spirit Water Palace inside and out, leaving no stone unturned.
"The cultivation world is truly marvelous; even a third-rate sect's reserves are so abundant!" A demonoid, holding many pills, sighed wistfully.
"Yes! This time, we must not be driven back to the demon realm again. My younger brother lost his life fighting for a prime-grade yuan restorative pill, but little did we know that in the cultivation world, yuan restorative pills are merely common pills, doled out as stipends by these sects, even to outer sect disciples."
"With the Demon Lord, we will surely establish ourselves firmly in the cultivation world. The sect leaders will soon come to pay their respects to the Demon Lord, securing our foothold."
"The Demon Lord is the true number one in the Qianyuan Continent; what is the Sky Slaughter Sect's leader compared to him?"
The demonoids exchanged looks and all laughed smugly.
Yan Junyu paced within the Spirit Water Palace, slapping to death any survivors who attempted to ambush him and ignoring those who turned and fled, slowly making his way to the dungeon. There, he found Su Huaiyun, barely clinging to life. He remembered the relationship between the Spirit Water Palace's lord and his beloved, and understood their complicated past. Thus, he did not rush to save Su Huaiyun but only scanned the man's body with his divine sense.
"Soul searched, shattered sea of consciousness, destroyed base essence. The Myriad Swords Sect is indeed ruthless." After retracting his divine sense, he shook his head and sighed.
"Save me! Please save me!" Su Huaiyun cried out desperately.
Yet Yan Junyu merely stood there, unmoving. Seeing Su Huaiyun struggling to crawl, seemingly trying to grab his pant leg, he stepped back, a look of disgust on his face. To kill or not to kill, this was a difficult decision, but recalling his beloved's departure, he extinguished his murderous thoughts and slowly left the dungeon.
Qi Ze waited for about two quarters of an hour, watching as his beloved, accompanied by several demonoids, left the Spirit Water Palace, flying toward a town at the foot of the mountain. The spies lurking around followed closely and spread the news of the Spirit Water Palace's destruction to their respective sects. This Demon Lord was even more formidable than they had imagined, not uttering a single superfluous word on his journey. When he acted, it was with thunderous force, even daring to kill the Myriad Swords Sect's disciples, clearly not taking Heavenly Slaughter seriously. Moreover, his target was the fusion body, and he seemed determined to obtain it.
Upon hearing the news, the cultivators who sought to capture Qi Ze dwindled significantly. The demonoids with an interest in the fusion body obediently returned to their sects, wary of angering the Demon Lord.
"Waiter, bring a pot of spirit wine and a few fine dishes." Number One stood on the table, his round eyes set in his square head, making him look somewhat comical. The waiter quickly glanced at him, then lowered his head, his shoulders heaving as if holding back laughter.
"If you laugh again, there's no tip for you." Number One stomped his foot in anger.
"Please wait, honored immortals. I'll have the food ready shortly." The waiter immediately reined in his laughter and rushed to the kitchen.
The cultivators resting in the tavern seemed to pay no attention to the group, but in reality, they all stole glances. The Demon Lord's portrait had been disseminated across the Qianyuan Continent; who wouldn't recognize him? Some immediately left, some dared not make a move, and others seemed to be suppressing the urge to kill.
Right then, a tall and slender youth walked unhurriedly from the street corner. He was handsome, composed, and clad in a long black robe with silver patterns. The robe's hem, cuffs, and collar were embroidered with the symbols of the Supreme Divine Creation Sect. A jade pendant inscribed with the hollowed-out character 'Qi' hung from his waist.
Cultivators with broader horizons recognized him and could not help but exclaim, "Qi Ze?"
"What? He's the Qi Ze wanted by the ten major sects? How dare he walk around in broad daylight, is he tired of living?" The crowd buzzed with discussion, but few truly approached, fearing they had the wrong person or that it was a trap set by Qi Ze.
"He, he's heading toward Tai Xiang Winehouse! He's walking straight into a trap! The Demon Lord is inside!" Seeing Qi Ze lift his robe and enter a tavern, the cultivators were even more hesitant to make an arrest.
Yan Junyu had stood up at the sound, his eyes fixed intently on his beloved. Qi Ze gave him a teasing glance before ascending to the second floor, speaking slowly, "I heard the Demon Lord is looking for me?"
"Let us capture him for you, Demon Lord." Several demonoids were eager to curry favor but were pinned to their chairs by an overwhelming pressure, blood seeping from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
"I've been looking for you for a long time." Yan Junyu took a few quick steps forward, tightly embracing his beloved. His large hand patted his back, pinched his buttocks, and showed a reluctance to let go.
"I missed you." Qi Ze's nose tingled as he softly expressed his feelings of separation before raising his voice, "When my Supreme Divine Creation Sect was destroyed, everyone knows the reason. I have no intention of defending myself. Since you want to smear my name, why not let me take the blame?"
Yan Junyu understood, releasing his beloved and rubbing his jet-black hair, declaring, "Qi Ze is my partner, Yan Junyu, a denizen of the demon realm, unrelated to the cultivation world. I intend to assist him in rebuilding his sect, and all spirit weapons will be sold exclusively to the demon realm. Those interested may come to discuss business."
"Let's go back and collect the remains of Father and our fellow sect members." He took his beloved's hand and left the tavern, leaving the onlookers in shock. How? How was this possible? How did Qi Ze become involved with the Demon Lord? And become partners?
A string of startling revelations left these people dazed. The demonoids hidden in the shadows, however, were elated. The demon realm had always been impoverished, with few decent sects, let alone specialized sects like the weapon crafting sect that required ten thousand years of inheritance. Now, at this critical juncture of the war between the two realms, with the addition of the weapon crafting sect, the demon realm would no longer have to worry about weaponry and equipment. Their combat power would multiply.
This was what it meant to have wings added to one's strength!
When Qi Ze was dragged away, he was still somewhat dazed, only coming to his senses at the foot of the mountain gate of the Supreme Divine Creation Sect. He muttered hoarsely, "You want to help me rebuild the sect?"
"Hmm. Before I came, I had already thought it through. First, I'll help you collect Father's and your fellow sect members' remains, then I'll help you hold up this sign." Yan Junyu picked up the plaque that had been split in half, smiling, "I will avenge your grudges and fill the gaps in your regrets."
Qi Ze could not say "thank you"; it felt too distant. Instead, he walked forward and tightly embraced his beloved. To meet such a person and to walk together, he was already content.