"Ancestor, what place is this?"
Zhou Yi looked at the vast stretch of buildings before him, extending for thousands of miles, and asked Li Yu in astonishment.
"This was once the Demon Metropolis."
Li Yu looked around and nodded slightly. "Though it has been abandoned for many years, it is still decent enough as a temporary foothold. The spiritual energy here is abundant, spiritual herbs grow everywhere, and there are countless savage beasts. It is convenient for both cultivation and training."
"I shall follow Ancestor's arrangements."
Although Zhou Yi had no idea what this so-called Demon Metropolis was, after hearing Li Yu's words, he did not dare ask any further and hurriedly bowed to accept his orders.
Roar...
A tremendous roar rang out.
A gigantic beast, as huge as a small mountain, emerged from the ruins. It roared at Li Yu and Zhou Yi, then charged at them. Its thundering footsteps shook the ground violently.
The beast stood over ten meters tall, with a lion's head and an ox's body. Green scales covered its entire body, and its bloody maw, filled with halberd-like fangs, was as large as a gate.
"Ah..."
Zhou Yi had never seen anything like this. He immediately let out a startled cry and stumbled back several steps. A moment later, he came to his senses. With Ancestor here, what am I afraid of?
Zhou Yi stopped, his face flushing red. He felt utterly mortified, thinking he had made a complete fool of himself.
"Beast!"
Li Yu shouted coldly and flicked a finger. A streak of sword light shot into the sky. Fine as a silken thread, it whistled through the air, entered through the beast's gaping maw, and pierced straight through its brain.
Bang...
The charging beast's legs gave way, and it crashed headfirst to the ground, never to move again.
"Ancestor, I..."
Zhou Yi was deeply ashamed of his earlier cowardice. He walked before Li Yu, lowered his head, and blushed.
"Hehe. It is nothing."
Li Yu smiled indifferently and offered a word of comfort. "Confidence comes from strength. You have yet to truly begin cultivating, so a lack of confidence is only natural. There is no need to be ashamed."
Pointing at the endless mountains around them, Li Yu said, "There are many fierce beasts here. You will train here from now on. Kill enough of them, and naturally you will no longer be afraid."
"Yes!"
Zhou Yi answered respectfully.
"The one watching the show over there, you have watched long enough. Why not come out and meet us?"
Li Yu looked toward the back of the main hall, a faint smile appearing on his lips as he nodded lightly. "You lured that Lion-headed Beast here just now, didn't you? You wanted to test why I did not act personally?"
"Someone?"
Zhou Yi's heart jolted. He hurriedly followed Li Yu's gaze, but he saw nothing at all.
"Someone?"
Li Yu smiled and shook his head. "Of course not. It is merely a demon."
"A... a demon? There really are demons?"
Zhou Yi raised his head in surprise and looked around, seemingly very interested in this so-called demon.
"Hmph!"
Behind the eaves of the main hall, a burly figure over two meters tall snorted angrily and leaped down.
"Humans, this is the territory of our demon race."
The burly man glared at Li Yu and Zhou Yi. Two horns atop his head flickered faintly with lightning, while spiritual light shimmered over the black scales the size of wine cups covering his body.
"You already possess the Spirit Void Grotto-Heaven, yet now you have come to our territory. Are you trying to start a war?"
The burly man reached out and grabbed, and a huge spiked mace appeared in his hand. Every spike, over five inches long, was stained with dark red blood.
"Hehe. Of course not."
Li Yu smiled and shook his head. "We are not from the Spirit Void Grotto-Heaven. I did not come here to wage war against you either, but rather..."
"But rather what?"
Hearing that Li Yu had not come to start a war, the burly man seemed to relax somewhat, and the mace in his hand lowered slightly.
"But rather..."
Li Yu gestured around them and smiled. "This place is nice. I want it."
"Bastard!"
The burly man seemed enraged by Li Yu's words. With an angry roar, he raised his mace as though preparing to strike.
"Enough. Stop putting on an act."
Li Yu sneered disdainfully. "Your legs are trembling, so what are you still trying to keep up this tough act for? Someone forced you out here as a target to draw my attention, so they could launch a surprise attack while they had the chance? And you think such a pathetic trick is worth showing off?"
Clang!
The burly man's mace fell to the ground. His legs trembled weakly. "You... you noticed?"
"Did I need to notice?"
Li Yu shook his head, then raised his head and shouted, "Come out!"
His voice boomed like a great bell, shaking all four directions. Invisible ripples swept outward.
"Ah! We have been discovered!"
"Damn it! I told you this plan would not work!"
"If we cannot ambush him, then we will attack head-on! What is there to fear?"
As the voices rang out, strange figures emerged one after another from the ruins.
A figure resembling a young girl flew through the air. Her hands were a pair of wings, her lips a sharp bird beak, and her feet bird claws. Behind her followed several bizarre-looking figures and more than a dozen strange beasts.
"Human, you dared to enter our territory. There is only death awaiting you."
A bull-headed brute over three meters tall raised a battle axe and roared.
"Why waste words? Just beat him to death."
A giant snake with a single horn on its head and claws growing from its belly slithered forward, speaking human words.
"Caw caw caw caw! I have not eaten human flesh in days! And now one has delivered himself right to my door!"
A brawny figure over two meters tall, covered in black fur and resembling a black bear, opened his fang-filled mouth in a strange laugh.
"Attack! Beat him to death! Beat him to death!"
A thin figure waved the Mantis Blade arms on both hands and shrieked.
Roar...
The dozen or so beasts behind them roared together, savage and violent, their killing intent soaring.
"Zhou Yi, did you not wish to walk the Path of the Great Emperor?"
Li Yu ignored the demons' clamor entirely and turned to Zhou Yi. "Now, Ancestor will teach you how the Path of the Great Emperor is walked!"
"The Path of the Great Emperor conquers all directions. It requires nothing but dominance."
Li Yu looked up at the gathered demons, cold killing intent shining from his eyes. "Leave! Or die!"
"Bastard!"
"You seek death!"
"Tear him apart!"
"Bite him to death! Eat him!"
Upon hearing Li Yu's words, the demons flew into a rage and charged forward with roars. Weapons gleaming with flowing radiance were raised, spiritual light flashing in every direction as their momentum surged skyward.
"Nothing but chickens and dogs!"
Li Yu sneered disdainfully, held two fingers together like a sword, and swept them across the air.
Clang...
A shrill sword cry resounded through Yun Xiao.
Sword light, limpid as water, tore through the sky. The Unbreakable Slash cut through all things. With one slash, wind and clouds change color, and heaven and earth trembled in fear.
Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!
As the sword light swept past, a succession of tearing sounds rang without end.
It severed the ruined buildings, severed every weapon, severed every demon, and even sliced open the air before it, leaving a massive rift that could not close for a long time.
Boom...
The shattered buildings collapsed with a crash.
Clatter!
Broken weapons fell to the ground.
Thud!
The corpses of demons and beasts toppled to the ground.
"Ancestor's Divine Might!"
Zhou Yi shouted excitedly.