This Place Is Good, I'll Take It

"Grandmaster, where is this place?"

Zhou Yi looked at the vast buildings stretching for a thousand miles before him and asked Li Yu in surprise.

"This was once the Demon Metropolis."

Li Yu looked up, nodded slightly, "Although it's been abandoned for many years, it's not bad for a temporary stop. The spiritual energy here is abundant, and there are spiritual herbs and countless fierce beasts everywhere. It's convenient for both cultivation and trials."

"Everything depends on the Grandmaster's command."

Although Zhou Yi didn't know what the so-called Demon Metropolis was, he didn't dare to ask further after hearing Li Yu's words. He quickly bowed and accepted the order.

"Roar..."

A huge roar sounded.

A monstrous beast, as large as a small mountain, emerged from the ruins. It roared at Li Yu and the two of them and charged forward. The thundering footsteps were like thunder, and the ground shook violently.

The giant beast was over ten meters tall, with a lion's head and an ox's body. Its entire body was covered in green scales, and its gaping maw, filled with tusks like halberds, resembled a large door.

"Ah..."

Zhou Yi had never seen such a scene before and let out a startled cry, retreating several steps. An instant later, Zhou Yi reacted. With the Grandmaster present, what was there to fear?

Zhou Yi stopped, his face flushing with embarrassment, feeling incredibly ashamed.

"Vermin!"

Li Yu reprimanded him and flicked his finger, sending a beam of sword light soaring into the sky. The sword light, as thin as silk thread, whistled through the air, pierced through the beast's gaping maw, and went through its head.

"Bang..."

The charging giant beast's legs went soft, and it toppled to the ground, lifeless.

"Grandmaster, I..."

Zhou Yi felt ashamed of his earlier timidity. He walked up to Li Yu, his face red, and lowered his head.

"Heh heh. It's alright."

Li Yu smiled indifferently and comforted him, "Confidence comes from strength. You haven't truly begun cultivating yet, so it's natural to lack confidence. There's no need to be ashamed."

Pointing to the vast mountains around them, Li Yu said, "There are many fierce beasts in this place. You will train here from now on. Once you kill enough, you naturally won't be afraid."

"Yes!"

Zhou Yi replied respectfully.

"You who have been watching from the side, you've been watching for so long, why don't you come out and meet us?"

Li Yu looked up towards the back of the main hall, a slight smile playing on his lips, and nodded gently. "You were the one who lured that Lion-headed Beast here, weren't you? You wanted to test why I didn't act myself?"

"Someone's here?"

Zhou Yi was startled and quickly followed Li Yu's gaze, but he saw nothing.

"Human?"

Li Yu chuckled and shook his head. "Of course not human, just a monster."

"A... monster? There really are monsters?"

Zhou Yi looked up in surprise, scanning his surroundings, seeming very interested in this monster.

"Hmph!"

From behind the eaves of the main hall, a burly figure two meters tall snorted angrily and leaped down from behind the eaves.

"Human, this is our Demon Clan's territory."

The strong man glared at Li Yu and the other man. Two horns on his head faintly flickered with electricity, and the spiritual light shimmered on the black scale armor, which was the size of a wine cup.

"You already possess the Spirit Void Grotto-Heaven, and now you've come to our territory. Are you looking for a war?"

The strong man reached out and grabbed, and a giant mace covered in spikes appeared in his hand. The five-inch-long spikes were covered in dark red bloodstains.

"Heh heh. Of course not."

Li Yu smiled and shook his head. "We are not from the Spirit Void Grotto-Heaven, and I'm not here to start a war with you, but rather..."

"But rather what?"

The strong man's expression seemed to soften upon hearing that Li Yu wasn't there to fight, and he lowered his mace slightly.

"But rather..."

Li Yu gestured around the area and said with a smile, "This place is nice. I'll take it."

"Bastard!"

The strong man seemed enraged by Li Yu's words. With a roar, he swung his mace as if to strike.

"Alright, stop pretending."

Li Yu sneered and curled his lips. "Your legs are trembling, why are you still trying to hold on? You were forced to come out as a target to attract my attention so you could sneak attack? You're embarrassing yourself with such tactics?"

"Clang!"

The mace in the strong man's hand fell to the ground, and his legs trembled uncontrollably. "You... you found out?"

"Do we even need to discover them?"

Li Yu shook his head, then shouted upwards, "Come out!"

His voice boomed like a great bell, shaking the surroundings. An invisible ripple swept outwards.

"Ah! We've been discovered!"

"Damn it! I told you this plan wouldn't work!"

"If we can't sneak attack, then just charge in, what are you afraid of?"

As the voices spoke, figures of various strange appearances emerged from the ruins.

A figure resembling a young girl, but with wings for hands, a sharp bird's beak for lips, and bird claws for feet, flew in mid-air. Behind her followed several oddly shaped figures and over a dozen strange beasts.

"Human, you dare to step into our territory. You have nowhere to go but death."

A bull-headed brute, over three meters tall, roared while brandishing a broad axe.

"Why waste words? Just kill him."

A giant serpent, with a single horn on its head and claws growing from its abdomen, slithered over, speaking human language.

"Gagagaga! I haven't eaten human flesh in days! And now one has delivered himself to my doorstep!"

A burly man, over two meters tall, covered in black fur and resembling a black bear, grinned grotesquely, baring his fangs.

"Go! Kill him! Kill him!"

A thin figure shrieked, brandishing its mantis-like bladed arms.

"Roar..."

The dozen or so strange beasts behind them roared in unison, ferocious and violent, radiating killing intent.

"Zhou Yi, aren't you aiming to walk the Path of the Great Emperor?"

Li Yu completely ignored the monsters' clamoring and turned to Zhou Yi, saying, "Now the Grandmaster will teach you how to walk the Path of the Great Emperor!"

"The Path of the Great Emperor is to conquer all directions, with nothing but dominance."

Li Yu looked up at the assembled monsters, his eyes radiating icy killing intent. "Scram! Or die!"

"Scoundrel!"

"You're asking for death!"

"Tear him apart!"

"Bite him! Eat him!"

Upon hearing Li Yu's words, the collection of monsters became enraged and charged forward, roaring. Weapons of flowing light were swung, radiating spiritual energy and exuding an overwhelming aura.

"Mere paper tigers!"

Li Yu sneered dismissively, then swept his fingers forward as if drawing a sword.

"Clang..."

A piercing sword cry echoed through the heavens.

A sword light, as fluid as water, tore through the sky, capable of cutting through anything. With a single strike, the wind and clouds changed, and heaven and earth trembled in fear.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

As the sword light swept past, a series of snapping sounds could be heard incessantly.

It severed the ruined buildings, cut through various weapons, sliced through all the monsters, and even split the air in front of him, creating a massive rift that took a long time to close.

"Boom..."

The severed structures collapsed with a crash.

"Clatter!"

Shattered weapons fell to the ground.

"Thump!"

The corpses of monsters and beasts tumbled to the ground.

"Grandmaster's divine might!"

Zhou Yi shouted excitedly.