The Golden Lion Clan's Invitation

A sea breeze blew, and the torches stuck in the ground flickered.

A fleeting spark disappeared in an instant. You Su lightly lifted the sword, and a string of blood dripped from the tip onto the ground.

He turned around, looked at the shadows between the trees behind him, and said in a deep voice:

"Would you all like to continue watching the show?"

A moment of silence ensued, only their silent power clashing.

Despite being at the lower level of the Water Condensing Lower Realm, You Su held his sword with his head held high, completely unfazed.

He could clearly see three people in the shadows: two men and one woman.

He was also one of three people, except the other two were corpses on the ground, demonstrating his formidable strength.

Finally, the three men slowly emerged from the shadows, their figures illuminated by the firelight.

The man in the middle was burly with a resolute face, his pupils shining like sparks in the night; the other was slightly less handsome, with a plainer appearance, but they both had long, orange-gold hair that they didn't tie up, letting their golden hair flow wildly; the woman was tall and slender with graceful curves, her toes lightly touching the ground, quite elegant.

All three were dressed in fine clothes and looked righteous, but You Su frowned, because they were not human, but demons.

Before coming to Heaven Awakening Island, the Third Elder had specifically warned him to be careful of the Demon Cultivator from the Eastern Ying Continent while on the island.

Since the True Immortal Zhengyang has decided to ascend, he will not confine himself to the conflict between humans and demons or even the conflict between good and evil. Therefore, he teaches without discrimination, and his successors are not divided into humans and demons. However, his attitude of not interfering in the conflict between humans and demons also puts the trembling Demon Race at ease.

The current situation is tense. On Heaven Awakening Island, different camps will not only be formed due to sects and Lineage, but also due to race. The geniuses of the human race and the Demon Race will inevitably clash. The human race occupies four continents' quota, while the Demon Race only has one continent, and the number of Demon Cultivator is certainly even smaller. But this also means that they will be more united and more ruthless when facing human cultivators.

After all, from the moment the invitation was accepted, life and death on this island became unpredictable.

Although vying for the Heavenly Awakening Spiritual Light is their ultimate goal, some Demon Cultivator are willing to take the opportunity to prematurely destroy some human prodigies, and vice versa.

"Young man, don't be nervous, I mean no harm."

The man with a resolute face smiled and spread his hands, gesturing to You Su.

You Su frowned as she looked at the Demon Cultivator. You Su could sense that this demon was the strongest of the three, with an extremely powerful aura that even Huang Xi could not compare to. This demon was definitely at the peak of the Water Condensation Perfection Realm!

"Ao Yunlie of the Golden Lion Clan?"

"Young man, have you heard of my name?" Ao Yunlie raised a thick eyebrow, seemingly pleasantly surprised.

"There are only a handful of Demon Cultivator recognized by the Human Race's Prodigy Ranking; it's hard not to know them."

You Su never expected that she would encounter one of her strongest competitors less than a day after arriving on the island.

The Golden Lion Clan is the most powerful demon among the great demons on Star Zhao Divine Mountain in the Eastern Ying Continent, comparable to a top-tier sect like the Spiritual Treasure Sect among humans. And this Ao Yunlie is the first lion demon in the history of the Golden Lion Clan, unprecedented below the Feather Transformation Realm. It is said that he could have broken through to the Transformation Realm long ago, but he deliberately stayed at the Water Condensation Perfection for many years in order to perfect his Secret Method.

Upon hearing this, Ao Yunlie burst into laughter, his hearty laughter echoing through the woods, startling countless birds into flight, like the roar of a lion in the night.

"Hey, young brother, young brother, is my name on it?" The Demon Cultivator with a somewhat plain appearance asked eagerly, unwilling to give up. "My name is Ao Yu, Yu with the metal radical."

You Su raised an eyebrow. "No."

Ao Yu was clearly disappointed by the answer, while Ao Yunlie laughed even harder. He patted his younger cousin's shoulder firmly a few times and said with a smile:

"Xiao Yu, don't be discouraged. This list is something the human race keeps to themselves; they only included a few Demon Race members because they didn't want to completely break ties with our Demon Race. Otherwise, none of them would have been included. If you want to be on it, it's not like you have no chance."

Ao Yu exclaimed excitedly, "Are all humans this petty? Big brother, how am I supposed to fight them?"

You Su clicked her tongue in amazement. Ao Yunlie was quite perceptive; judging by appearance alone, she would have thought him to be a rough and unruly man.

Ao Yunlie suppressed his smile, "Work diligently day and night, focusing solely on the Dao Path, and your name will surely be inscribed on the altar."

Ao Yu's face was a mixture of anticipation and bitterness. He hadn't expected his cousin to lecture him at a time like this. "Brother, you might as well say we should go back alive. If many of their human prodigies die, then I'll naturally be able to go."

Ao Yunlie shook his head. "If you don't strive to find the Dao, but instead expect those ahead of you to die, how are you any different from a fool? If everyone in the world dies, will the Great Dao just fall into your lap?"

Ao Yu's expression grew even more bitter. He was already numb to his older brother's earnest admonitions. "Alright, brother, stop talking. My ears are calloused. You should deal with this young man's matter first..."

Ao Yunlie then realized what was happening and turned back to You Su apologetically, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, young man."

"It's alright. What brings you all here?" You Su asked casually, but his grip on his sword never loosened. "If there's nothing else, please leave. I need to bury my friend."

"No, I just wanted to have a brief chat with you, young man."

Ao Yunlie took a step forward and actually walked to the torch and sat down on the ground. He kept his hands outstretched with palms facing up, as if to prove to You Su that he had no hostility.

He was clearly the leader of the three Demon Cultivators, and the remaining man and woman followed suit, sitting down and spreading their hands.

You Su stood there, sword in hand, facing the three demons, somewhat taken aback. This was not the barbaric and backward demon Demon Race he had imagined.

"What's there to talk about with me? You heard what he just said; I don't know any more than you do."

You Su did not approach, nor did he loosen his grip on the sword.

"I see that you, young man, possess unparalleled looks and sword intent at such a young age, and your combat strength is terrifying. Only two people meet these requirements: Zhou Changwen, who has Innate Sword Body under the command of Crimson Rainbow Venerable, and You Su, the second disciple of Lotus Sword Venerable. And you, you should be the latter."

Ao Yunlie stared directly at You Su, his wide eyes revealing no lack of approval.

You Su never expected that his reputation would spread to the Demon Race realm across the ocean.

"No way, it really is You Su?" Ao Yu was very surprised.

The elegant and tall woman also had bright, beautiful eyes. "Rumor has it that You Su is blind, and he wears Law Artifact over his eyes. It seems that's pretty much true."

You Su remained silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"Wow, so you're the one who got carried ashore by Wangshu Fairy!" Ao Yu, half envious and half resentful.

"Your name is not on the list of prodigies; those human cultivators are truly blind," Ao Yunlie exclaimed sincerely.

In fact, this is because You Su is too low-key and doesn't care about these empty titles, and the minimum standard for the Prodigy Ranking is the Upper Water Condensing Upper Realm.

"Let's skip the small talk and get straight to the point," You Su said indifferently, unmoved by the pleasantries.

"Alright." Ao Yunlie sat up straighter. "Brother You, do you think what this person said before he died was true or false?"

"He has no reason to lie to me; it won't help him survive."

Moreover, the fact that these two people without invitations still entered the island is the best proof. Otherwise, aside from wanting to seize the invitations to save their lives, there would be no need to kill Huang Xi.

"Brother You, why do you think True Immortal Zhengyang allowed these people to enter the island?"

"Of course, it's because of too much external pressure. All sides are putting pressure on us, and 360 spots can't satisfy the appetites of outsiders. That's why True Immortal Zhengyang did this to appease everyone's emotions," Ao Yu answered quickly.

Upon hearing this, Ao Yunlie glanced at his younger brother and shook his head as if in regret.

"You are True Immortal Zhengyang, the most outstanding in the world. Do you still need to worry about the opinions of these ants?"

Ao Yu pondered for a moment, then shook his head repeatedly.

"You love eating sandfish from the East Sea, but sandfish are delicate and easily die, making it impossible to transport them from the coast to Star Zhao Divine Mountain. However, if you put a pike, the sandfish's natural enemy, into the fish tank, the sandfish will naturally swim faster to avoid being eaten by the pike, and thus they will come to you one by one, lively and jumping. Now, do you understand the True Immortal Zhengyang's intention?"

After a long silence, Ao Yu replied, "Does he want us to be eaten alive?"

As soon as he finished speaking, both Ao Yunlie and the woman were taken aback. Ao Yunlie straightened his face and said angrily:

"Watch your words! I've told you to read more human books, but you won't! You can't even understand this simple principle!"

Ao Yu quickly covered his mouth, knowing full well that loose tongues can lead to trouble, and broke out in a cold sweat.

"True Immortal Zhengyang, please forgive me. This humble one, Ao Yu, spoke recklessly without thinking. Please don't take it to heart..."

Ao Yunlie sighed and shook his head, "The True Immortal Zhengyang did this to introduce external stimuli to keep us invitees energized and even unleash our potential."

"But... if True Immortal Zhengyang chose us 360, he must have approved of us. There's a reason he didn't choose others. Why would he let so many failed candidates in? Weren't they just sending them to their deaths? Just like these two idiots." Ao Yu asked again.

"But some people have lost their lives because of this, haven't they? These people are the touchstones sent in by the True Immortal Zhengyang, to test the mettle of these 360 of us."

"This price is too high... A lot of people and demons will die, won't they?"

"It was all for that Heavenly Awakening Spiritual Light..."

Ao Yunlie sighed, suddenly realizing that he had fallen into his old habit of lecturing his cousin again, forgetting that the question was originally meant for the boy in front of him.

He wanted to speak again, but he realized that You Su had already started filling the grave with soil, and the grave was almost finished in the meantime.

You Su didn't bother with them. Instead, he pulled out the large sack and checked its contents. He found that the Floating Light Grass was still there, and there was even a large piece of White Spirit Glue. This must be what Huang Xi had prepared for his junior sister.

He bowed towards the lonely grave, put the sack into his Universe Bag, and decided that if he had the chance, he would convey his sentiments to the sect. After all, he had received a gift from the other party, and he should return the favor.

Ao Yunlie silently watched all of this, then called out to You Su, who was about to leave:

"Brother You, wait a moment."

"Is there anything else?" You Su asked impatiently.

"To be honest, I want to invite Brother You to join us," Ao Yunlie finally revealed his true purpose.

Ao Yu was shocked upon hearing this. "Big brother, he's human! He's not a demon, how can he join us?"

"He's no ordinary person." Ao Yunlie pressed Ao Yu, who was half-standing up, back down. "The Second Young Lady of the Snake Clan is his junior sister. If he were someone who hated demons, the Second Young Lady the Snake Clan wouldn't have been able to stay in the Xuanxiao Sect for so long."

"But... they're still a different race! Even if you want to build a force to help you find your inheritance, why not just gather our Demon Race? Big Brother's reputation is much better than those Demon Race, and you definitely have more Demon Race following you than they do!" Ao Yu said excitedly.

"Ao Yu, you must remember that some Demon Race are far more terrifying than humans."

Ao Yunlie's flamboyant golden hair shone like the blazing sun in the firelight, but his eyes held a deep concern for the current state of the Demon Race. If the Demon Race were truly united, they wouldn't be trapped in a single continent.

"I, Ao Yunlie, make friends not based on race, but on character." He then looked at You Su, who was about to leave, raised his head, and declared loudly, "I can see that Brother You is a person worthy of deep friendship. Join me, and I can share the inheritance with Brother You. Everyone who is willing to walk with me, Ao Yunlie, can also share the inheritance."

"Others would love to eliminate their competitors so they can monopolize the legacy, but you've done the opposite."

You Su had to admit that Ao Yunlie's aura was indeed completely different from that of ordinary geniuses; he possessed a remarkable domineering presence, yet it was not at all tyrannical.

"There's an old saying among humans: 'Many hands make light work,' and I wholeheartedly agree. There can only be one inheritance, but the Heavenly Awakening Spiritual Light won't be extinguished just because it's given to a second person. Rather than fighting to the death, it's better to work together. What do you think, Brother You?"

"You want to be a saint?"

"Saints save all living beings, but I cannot be a saint, because I only choose those I trust." Ao Yunlie's eyes were burning.

"Unfortunately, I'm used to being alone," You Su replied casually.

"Heaven Awakening Island —the outsiders, the humans, Demon Race —Brother You, are you planning to remain aloof?"

You Su weighed the sword in his hand and asked in return, "Why not?"

"Hey, no, my brother has already explained it so clearly, and you still refuse. In the current situation, you're so tired you don't even dare to close your eyes and rest. Why don't you come with us? Are you afraid we won't recognize your Heavenly Awakening Spiritual Light?" Ao Yu was clearly indignant at You Su's lack of appreciation. He patted his chest and said, "We can all Heavenly Dao Oath. How can you not believe us? As for our lives, that's even less likely. We have no grudge against you, why would we kill you? We can even protect you. And you still won't join us?"

You Su frowned, Heavenly Dao Oath was enough to show Ao Yunlie's sincerity and determination to gather heroes from all sides.

"Young Master You, please consider this. I am He Xiangran from the Snow Feather Crane Clan. We are just an ordinary tribe in Japan, but Young Master Ao did not look down on my meager strength. He still extended a warm invitation to me and even took the initiative to make Heavenly Dao Oath. He truly wants to unite everyone." The female Demon Cultivator also tried to persuade him kindly.

Upon hearing this, You Su gave Ao Yunlie a deep look, feeling that this demon truly possessed some spirit:

"I appreciate your kind offer, but You Su has other allies. Please find someone else."

Ao Yunlie looked regretful. "Very well, an alliance cannot be forced. Miss He, Ao Yu, let's go."

"Please wait, I have a question to ask." You Su seemed to remember something and called out to the three demons again.

Ao Yu wasn't very friendly. "You're not one of us, why should I answer you?"

"Ao Yu!" Ao Yunlie shouted at his younger brother, Ao Yu had no choice but to shut up reluctantly.

"Brother You, please feel free to ask. Just because we can't form an alliance doesn't mean we can't be friends."

You Su pursed her lips, deciding to use the information she obtained from Huang Xi to exchange intelligence with Ao Yunlie.

To show his sincerity, he first told the other party that Heaven Awakening Island was actually much larger than it appeared.

"Is that so? It seems there are still many places worth exploring." Ao Yunlie suddenly realized, "Brother You, please ask."

But at that moment, Ao Yunlie's expression changed drastically. The three demons exchanged a glance and together took out a piece of shimmering bone fragment from their robes.

"Something has happened to Demon Race!"

After saying this, the three demons immediately prepared to leave.

"No, I haven't even asked my question yet!"

You Su said anxiously, and could only follow.

Xue Ruo will be making an appearance tomorrow!