First Hearing of the Demon Cave

"Sect mobilization order?"

Han Yi's mind went blank. This was the first time he had heard the term.

"Mhm." Chu Jinmo nodded, lowering her voice. "A Demon Cave has appeared east of Jade Capital Mountain Sacred Ground and west of Void Sect."

"Great Qian Immortal Kingdom has already issued an order, requiring every sect in the kingdom to send people to join the campaign and prevent the Demon Cave from expanding any further."

"As a sect second only to the Three Great Sects, Mystic Pill Sect is naturally among those answering the call."

Chu Jinmo sighed.

"You thought the Heavenly Demon invasion at Little Spirit Void Peak was enough to make the sky fall, but it was merely caused by a Greater Heavenly Demon that escaped from the Demon Cave."

"Within the Demon Cave, there are not only Greater Heavenly Demons comparable to Foundation Establishment cultivators. There are also Heavenly Demon Kings, Heavenly Demon Lords, and even Heavenly Demon Gods equivalent to Divine Transformation cultivators."

"This matter already concerns the safety of Great Qian Immortal Kingdom."

Chu Jinmo's voice was somewhat low, clearly weighed down by the gravity of the situation.

Han Yi, meanwhile, was even more bewildered.

Before he could ask further, Chu Jinmo tossed out, "In any case, Junior Brother Han, make your preparations as early as possible. I have urgent business to attend to, so farewell," then hurried away.

"A Demon Cave?"

"And it appeared east of Jade Capital Mountain Sacred Ground, one of the two great sacred grounds, and west of Void Sect, one of the Three Great Sects."

"Moreover, the Demon Cave contains even more powerful beings such as Heavenly Demon Kings, Heavenly Demon Lords, and Heavenly Demon Gods."

"To surround and suppress the Demon Cave, Great Qian Immortal Kingdom has issued a mobilization order requiring every sect within its borders to send people for a joint campaign."

Standing where he was, Han Yi extracted this information from what Chu Jinmo had just said.

Yet he was still utterly confused.

Because he knew absolutely nothing about the Demon Cave.

As for the two sacred grounds and the Three Great Sects, he did know about them.

Within Great Qian Immortal Kingdom, the two great sacred grounds were Jade Capital Mountain Sacred Ground and Ten Thousand Star Sea Sacred Ground. Both had Divine Transformation mighty figures, profound foundations, and inheritances stretching back countless tens of thousands of years. They had existed long before Great Qian was founded.

The Three Great Sects were Void Sect, Southern Dipper Divine Palace, and Crimson Sky Sword Sect. Each had several Nascent Soul cultivators presiding over it, and the resources they controlled were second only to one kingdom and two sacred grounds. They were countless times stronger than Mystic Pill Sect.

Han Yi did not force himself to stop Chu Jinmo. For her to tell him this much already showed that their friendship was quite good.

Afterward, he went to find Zheng Hai, but unfortunately, Zheng Hai knew even less than he did. The two then went together to Little Dragon Beard Peak to find Guan Di.

Four years had passed, yet Guan Di was still at the peak of Qi Refining Layer 6, without breaking through to Layer 7.

Though Layers 6 and 7 were separated by only one step, their strength was worlds apart. That was why those at Layer 7 lived on the Inner Peak, while those at Layer 6 lived on the Outer Peak.

"I don't know either. But during this period, something within the sect truly has been off. On Vermilion Bird Peak, I can feel undercurrents surging."

"The two of you are at lower realms. For the time being, don't run around—and especially do not go down the mountain."

Guan Di's expression was somewhat grave, and his tone carried considerable uncertainty.

Han Yi did not reveal what Chu Jinmo had told him. He merely asked about Little Spirit Void Peak and the state of the sect, voicing his own concerns.

Sure enough.

Guan Di was responsible for the administrative hall on Vermilion Bird Peak. Though he had received no definite news, he had likewise sensed that something was amiss.

A short while later, Han Yi and Zheng Hai left Little Dragon Beard Peak in heavy spirits.

One week later.

A piece of news announced by the sect master spread across both the Inner and Outer Peaks. Like a stone cast into a thousand-layered sea, it threw the entire Mystic Pill Sect into an uproar. The hidden currents now officially surged into a state of mobilization.

In the spacious rear courtyard.

Han Yi wore a grave expression.

"So, Mystic Pill Sect must dispatch three Golden Core cultivators, twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators, four hundred Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators, and three thousand Qi Refining Middle Stage cultivators to the outskirts of the Demon Cave to surround and suppress the escaped Heavenly Demons?"

Zheng Hai sat before Han Yi.

Zheng Hai's face had turned even darker, and his voice was tinged with dejection.

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have rushed to break through to Qi Refining Layer 4. Damn it, they dug a pit and waited for me to jump right in."

"What rotten luck."

A few days ago, for safety's sake and to gain a little more strength, Zheng Hai had gone into seclusion and broken through to Qi Refining Layer 4. He had barely emerged when he heard the mobilization order. It felt as though he had swallowed a fly.

Han Yi also felt it was unfair for his friend.

"There's no turning back time now. We still need to find a way."

Zheng Hai cursed under his breath. "What way is there to find? The outer sect supposedly has a hundred thousand disciples, but there are probably only around eight thousand at the middle stage of Qi Refining. They're picking three thousand out of those eight thousand—almost a forty percent chance of being selected. All we can do is leave it to fate."

Han Yi narrowed his eyes, his mind beginning to turn.

First, he reviewed in his heart the information he had gathered over the past few days.

Since the sect master had issued the mobilization order three days earlier, the relevant intelligence had long since been made public.

Han Yi also came to understand what a "Demon Cave" was.

A Demon Cave was, in fact, a term used in the cultivation world. Put more plainly, it was a place where heavenly demons gathered—heavenly demons that had possessed the bodies of cultivators in this world and could manifest their true forms.

The cultivation world and the worlds beyond its borders had originally been separated. Heavenly demons could only descend through corresponding openings.

For instance, when someone in the cultivation world made a breakthrough, a temporary coordinate would form in the world beyond. Heavenly demons near that coordinate would be drawn to it and descend into the cultivation world through a temporary passage.

Moreover, the temporary passage opened during a breakthrough could only allow one heavenly demon whose realm was equal to or lower than that of the one making the breakthrough to pass through.

This was the cultivation world's self-protection mechanism.

But exceptional circumstances could arise. For example, if two Divine Transformation mighty figures fought, they might shatter the barrier between the two worlds and tear open a breach. At that point, heavenly demons near the breach could descend directly into the cultivation world through it.

Heavenly demons descending this way faced no limit on their strength. If there was a Heavenly Demon Lord comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator among them, it could establish a Heavenly Demon ritual, force open and maintain the passage, and endlessly usher heavenly demons down.

The descending heavenly demons would gather beneath the passage, possess cultivators' bodies, manifest their true forms, and wreak havoc across the region.

There were even rumors that other cultivation worlds had been completely occupied by heavenly demons in this manner, with cultivators raised like meat in a jar.

And this time...

Such a passage had been opened. As for why, Han Yi's current standing was nowhere near sufficient for him to know.

The descending heavenly demons occupied that region. After wiping out Great Que Mountain, a force in the area that was in no way inferior to the Mystic Pill Sect, they established a Heavenly Demon ritual and ushered in other Heavenly Demon Lords—and even several Heavenly Demon Gods.

The situation was extraordinarily grave.

Even when Great Qian and the Jade Capital Mountain Sacred Ground intervened, they gained no advantage.

They could only eliminate them bit by bit.

That was why the various sects within Great Qian had now received conscription orders.

"Those at the Qi Refining Middle Stage account for roughly forty percent."

"And it isn't a lottery. They're selecting people."

Han Yi placed particular emphasis on the word "selecting."

"Han Yi, don't tell me you have a way to avoid this conscription?" Zheng Hai's eyes lit up.

Over the past three years or so, he had seen just how "capable" his friend was. Alchemy, realm, cultivation, connections—compared to three years ago, it was as though Han Yi had become an entirely different person.

If he had not felt that Han Yi was still the same as before after spending time with him, he would have thought Han Yi had been possessed.

At that, Han Yi gently shook his head.

He merely had a few possible channels, but whether they would work still needed to be put into practice. He would only know after trying.

"All right, don't worry either. From what I can tell, the selections among Qi Refining Middle Stage cultivators will mainly focus on Qi Refining Layer 5. Qi Refining Layer 4 has only just entered the middle stage; even if they're stronger than Layer 3 cultivators, the difference is limited."

"And Qi Refining Layer 6 is the reserve force for the Qi Refining Late Stage. The sect will definitely consider keeping them in reserve."

After comforting his friend, Han Yi left Little Firm Rock Peak and returned to Little Spirit Void Peak.

This time, he did not head straight back to his own courtyard. Instead, he went directly to Little Spirit Void Peak's main building to see someone.