The Golden Suan King could hardly believe his ears! He, a dignified Demon King at the peak of the Earth Immortal realm, was actually being extorted by some unknown brat?!
What utter humiliation! Simply utter humiliation!
He trembled with rage, golden demonic aura spilling uncontrollably from his body. He wanted nothing more than to pounce and fight to the death. But when he saw that broken axe that made his heart pound, the Sky-Gazing Roarer at the side wreathed in flames and glaring hungrily, and those seemingly insignificant yet endlessly troublesome little things... he forcibly suppressed the impulse.
A wise man does not fight when the odds are against him! As long as the green hills remain, there will be no lack of firewood!
"What... what exactly do you want?!" the Golden Suan King ground out through clenched teeth.
Li Wuyang smiled and pointed his axe at the storage ring on his hand and the cracked spear. "Simple. Leave the goods, and you can leave. Oh, and swear that you'll never trouble me or these young men of the Witch Clan again."
The Golden Suan King's face turned ashen as he struggled fiercely within. The storage ring contained his savings from many years, while that golden spear was his life-bound demonic weapon! But... his life mattered more.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his fury and humiliation. He ripped off the storage ring, threw the golden spear onto the ground, then swore upon his demonic soul that he would never retaliate against Li Wuyang or those members of the Witch Clan.
"Is that enough now?!" the Golden Suan King nearly roared from his throat.
Li Wuyang swept the ring with his divine sense. There were indeed quite a few spirit stones and materials inside. Satisfied, he nodded. "Fine, get lost. Remember your oath. Otherwise, the next time we meet, losing some wealth won't be enough to avert disaster."
The Golden Suan King shot Li Wuyang a venomous glare, as though he wished to carve him into his memory. Then, without lingering for even a moment, he transformed into a somewhat dim golden streak and fled in disgrace, vanishing beyond the horizon in an instant.
"Lord Daoist Son... was it really all right to let him go?" one of the Witch Clan youths asked worriedly. The demon race always sought revenge for the slightest grievance. He feared this would bring great trouble upon the Daoist Son.
Li Wuyang waved dismissively. "It's fine. He made an oath, so he won't dare act recklessly for a while. Besides, the more lice you have, the less they itch; the more debts you owe, the less you worry." Had he offended too few major figures already? One more Demon King made no difference.
He picked up the golden spear and storage ring for a look. The spear was of decent quality, though unfortunately damaged. Later, he would see whether it could be repaired or melted down and reforged. The resources in the ring would also replenish his supplies nicely.
"You should hurry back to your tribe. It isn't safe here anymore," Li Wuyang told the Witch Clan youths.
The youths thanked him profusely. After bowing once more, they quickly departed.
After this disturbance, Li Wuyang became even more certain that the Primordial World was growing increasingly unstable. He had to reach Zixiao Palace as soon as possible!
He delayed no longer, urging Huaihuai forward at full speed toward Buzhou Mountain's main peak.
The closer they came to Buzhou Mountain, the more immense the pressure between heaven and earth became, and the more violent the spiritual energy grew. More and more cultivators appeared along the way, all in different forms. Demonic aura, immortal light, and devilish clouds mingled together, yet all moved in the same direction.
Clearly, they were all "fated ones" heading to Zixiao Palace to hear the teachings.
Among them were no shortage of powerful beings. Heavenly Immortals and True Immortals were everywhere, and from time to time, one could even sense the terrifying pressure of a Mystic Immortal flashing past.
Li Wuyang's combination of "Spirit Refinement and Void Return (Earth Immortal) + exotic beast" looked utterly unremarkable amid the crowd, even somewhat weak. That suited him perfectly. Keeping a low profile was the way to go.
He blended into the vast stream of people—or demons, or members of the Witch Clan—and advanced cautiously.
Several days later, an enormous mountain beyond all description in its majesty, supporting heaven and earth and emanating an ancient, desolate aura, completely filled his vision!
Buzhou Mountain! They had arrived!
At the foot of the mountain, tens of thousands of living beings had already gathered, packed densely together amid deafening noise. Every creature gazed upward, for atop that cloud-shrouded peak, whose summit could not be seen, an ancient and majestic purple palace radiating boundless Dao essence flickered in and out of view!
Zixiao Palace!
The place where the Dao Ancestor would deliver his teachings!
Li Wuyang's heart surged with excitement. They had finally arrived! The greatest dungeon in the Primordial World—I'm here!
However, how to climb the mountain became a problem. Buzhou Mountain's pressure was too immense, making flight extremely difficult, and there seemed to be restrictions in place—the higher one went, the greater the pressure became. Most beings chose to climb on foot.
Just as Li Wuyang was pondering how to ascend the mountain, the bronze compass he had obtained from that mysterious cave dwelling suddenly trembled faintly in his robes. Its needle quivered, pointing toward a certain spot on Buzhou Mountain's body!
"Hmm? This compass... could it be related to Zixiao Palace?" Li Wuyang's heart stirred.
(End of Chapter Twenty-Eight)
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