Encountering an Old Acquaintance at the Foot of the Mountain, Tensions Between Witches and Demons Escalate

Leaving Buzhou Mountain's summit was far easier than climbing it. Perhaps his cultivation had improved after listening to the Dao, or perhaps Pangu's pressure had weakened somewhat as the crowds dispersed. Li Wuyang and Xuan descended all the way without feeling much strain.

Xuan seemed to possess a unique sense of space. The paths she chose often skillfully avoided the most difficult stretches, and she traveled at an astonishing speed. Li Wuyang followed closely behind, silently thankful to have this "humanoid navigator" at his side.

Along the way, Li Wuyang could not help asking, "Miss Xuan, you listened to the Dao for three thousand years. Did you gain much?" He was very curious what insights this reincarnated Chaos Demon God of mysterious origins had gained from the Dao Ancestor's Great Dao.

Without turning her head, Xuan's cool voice drifted back. "The Great Dao is simple; all laws return to silence. What Hongjun spoke of was the Dao of 'life' and 'order.' It conflicts with my origin, so I merely listened."

Li Wuyang clicked his tongue. Merely listened? If those mighty cultivators struggling to comprehend it heard that, they would probably cough up blood from rage. But considering Xuan's origins, it made sense. The Origin Laws of Chaos Demon Gods might have differed from the Primordial World's Heavenly Dao system from the start.

"Then who do you think is stronger, the Dao Ancestor... or you at your peak?" Li Wuyang asked curiously.

Xuan's steps paused slightly. After a moment of silence, she said indifferently, "We have never fought, so I cannot say. But in this world, he should reign supreme."

Li Wuyang heard a trace of caution in her words, and... perhaps unwillingness? He did not continue with the sensitive subject.

Several days later, the two arrived at the foot of Buzhou Mountain. The scene was vastly different from before the Dao lecture. All living beings had dispersed, leaving only devastation and even denser murderous aura. Across the land, the bannered camps erected by the demon race faced the fortified passes occupied by the Witch Clan from afar. Traces of conflict lay everywhere, and the atmosphere was taut with tension.

"It seems the conflict between the witches and demons completely erupted during these three thousand years," Li Wuyang said grimly. The Dao Ancestor's lecture had not dissolved the calamity. Instead, it might have strengthened both sides' top combatants, fueling their ambitions and giving them greater means to fight.

Just as he was considering which direction to go to gather information, a disturbance ahead caught his attention. A group of Witch Clan warriors was escorting women and children in a hurried retreat, while rolling demon clouds gathered behind them. Demon pursuers were clearly on their heels.

Among those Witch Clan warriors, a familiar figure made Li Wuyang's eyes light up—it was Hou Yuan, the minor leader of the Houtu Tribe from years ago! But Hou Yuan was now much older, wounded, and his eyes were filled with exhaustion and resolve.

"Leader Hou Yuan!" Li Wuyang shouted as he flew over with Xuan.

Hou Yuan froze upon seeing Li Wuyang, then revealed an ecstatic, disbelieving expression. "Lord Dao Child! It's you! You've returned from Zixiao Palace?!" He had clearly learned of the Dao lecture at Zixiao Palace as well.

"I just came down the mountain. You all are..." Li Wuyang looked at the bedraggled group.

Hou Yuan said bitterly, "Lord Dao Child, you do not know this. During the three thousand years you were listening to the Dao, the Witch-Demon War erupted in full! The Demon Heavenly Court has grown vastly stronger and has been relentlessly attacking our tribe's settlements. Our tribe... is already gone. These are the last of our people, and we are heading for the central ancestral land where Ancestor Witch Houtu resides, seeking protection. The demon pursuers will arrive any moment. Lord Dao Child, you must leave quickly. Do not let yourselves be dragged into this!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the demon clouds reached the sky overhead, revealing over a hundred elite demon warriors. Their leader, a demon general with the cultivation of an early True Immortal, leered down at them. "Hou Yuan! Let's see where you can run this time! Surrender, and I'll leave your corpses intact!"

Despair appeared on Hou Yuan's face and those of the Witch Clan warriors. They prepared to fight to the death.

Li Wuyang frowned deeply. He glanced at Xuan beside him.

Xuan remained expressionless and merely asked, "Are you going to meddle?"

Li Wuyang drew a deep breath and nodded. "Let's help them. We are acquainted, after all."

Xuan said nothing more. She simply stepped forward, her heterochromatic eyes coldly fixed on the demon general in the sky.