The Tragic State of the Pei Province Demon Slayer Division

Li Xuanxiao drove his True Essence without holding anything back. Rainbow Light Travel blazed brilliantly, streaking across the sky like a meteor.

His expression was grave. If his guess was right, and that Brocade-Robed Young Lord was the New Demon Emperor...

Then the Pei Province Demon Slayer Division's current situation was likely truly dire.

"Faster, faster..."

Anxiety churned within Li Xuanxiao. He had the distinct feeling that something earth-shattering was happening at the Demon Slayer Division right now.

The General, along with the eight Hall Masters, including Deputy General Yang.

Nine Martial Artists of the Wondrous Realm in total!

If the demons wanted to take on such a force, they would need to dispatch more Demon Emperors than that number at the very least!

Had the demons gone mad? Were they trying to declare war on the entire Great Yu Dynasty?

Suddenly, a streak of escaping light rose from a city ahead. Li Xuanxiao focused his gaze and discovered it was Ling Yan.

Li Xuanxiao slowed slightly. "Lord Ling Yan, have you received any news from the Demon Slayer Division?"

Ling Yan's eyes were reddened at that moment. He shook his head and handed Li Xuanxiao a Jade Token. "This was a message Master sent me three days ago."

Li Xuanxiao rubbed the Jade Token, and a voice emerged from it. It was Deputy General Yang's voice.

"Don't come back! Don't return to the Demon Slayer Division. Leave Pei Province immediately!"

Li Xuanxiao's mind shook violently. What exactly had happened to the Demon Slayer Division?

That it had made even Deputy General Yang, always composed and unhurried, sound so urgent and panicked.

"A message from three days ago... You didn't go back first?"

Li Xuanxiao asked.

Ling Yan shook his head. "I didn't dare defy Master's order, but I also didn't want to leave Pei Province just like that."

"If you hadn't passed by here today, I would have gone back to take a look myself."

Li Xuanxiao nodded. Ling Yan's flying speed was too slow, so he directly pulled him into the range covered by Rainbow Light Travel.

True Essence surged madly, and their speed abruptly rose another level. The scenery below rapidly streamed backward.

Countless cities along the way lay shattered and destroyed. Very few people in those cities were still standing.

Li Xuanxiao silently took it all in.

Several hours later, the two finally saw the outlines of familiar buildings.

But at a single glance, Li Xuanxiao and Ling Yan both furrowed their brows.

From high above, more than half of the entire Demon Slayer Division had suffered severe damage, as though it had been cleaved in two at the waist!

The General's Residence had almost completely collapsed!

The two landed before the Demon Slayer Division and hurried inside.

The instant they entered, both stopped in their tracks.

Ling Yan clenched his fists, and his eyes reddened once more.

Liu Gelin, who had once sat in the Law Enforcement Hall, silently flipping through martial artist registers with a warm and kindly face.

Was now nailed to the outer wall of the Demon Slayer Division by a strangely shaped spear, long since devoid of life...

His face was still twisted in ferocity, unwilling to close his eyes in death. Clearly, he had harbored immense fury and hatred toward the enemy he had faced before dying.

Li Xuanxiao's expression remained calm as memories flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

He still remembered that when he had first come to the Demon Slayer Division, the person Si Miaoyin had brought him to find was Liu Gelin.

At that time, he had committed the grave crime of defying a superior and killing his superior officer.

It was Liu Gelin who had opened the net on one side and given him a mission, allowing him to atone for his crimes through merit.

After Li Xuanxiao completed the mission, Liu Gelin had admired him greatly.

When he heard Li Xuanxiao had decided to join the Mission Hall, though he did not understand, he said nothing more.

"If you change your mind, you can come find me."

"I still think highly of you!"

He had generously given him 500 Contribution Points. To Li Xuanxiao back then, that had truly been an enormous fortune!

His Asura Blade and that incomparably flashy "Rainbow Light Travel" had both come from those 500 Contribution Points.

Both of those items had been of tremendous help to Li Xuanxiao in his later battles against demons and monsters!

In Li Xuanxiao's eyes, Liu Gelin had been a senior worthy of respect.

Yet now, he had been nailed to this cold city wall.

Dead with his eyes still open...

"Lord Liu... Sleeping like this will make you catch a chill."

Li Xuanxiao forced out an ugly smile, a trace of sorrow surfacing in his eyes.

He pulled out the spear and gently laid Liu Gelin's body flat on the ground. "Lord Liu, I'll come find you again later."

He slowly stroked Liu Gelin's wide-open eyes shut. After bowing deeply, Li Xuanxiao continued inward.

Countless martial artists clad in Demon Slayer Division uniforms lay in pools of blood.

Li Xuanxiao silently swept his gaze over them, branding the sight before him into his heart.

Within the central main hall of the Demon Slayer Division, Li Xuanxiao saw another Hall Master he knew well.

The Patrol Hall Master's hair was disheveled as he knelt on the ground, his body pierced through by countless spikes like a hedgehog...

Even though he had been dead for a long time, he still held his blade, as if he might rise to kill the enemy in the next instant.

But he would never stand again...

Li Xuanxiao had even haggled with him before. He had also been the first to teach Li Xuanxiao about the Wondrous Realm.

Their previous conversations remained vivid in his mind, yet that somewhat pedantic old man would never again ask him to help slay demons.

Li Xuanxiao suddenly felt something lodged in his throat. He swallowed gently, tasting only boundless bitterness.

The two continued inward. In a corner, they saw the Purification Hall Master, the sole Deputy General—Yang Zhiru.

"Master!"

Ling Yan shouted and hurriedly rushed to Yang Zhiru's side.

Yang Zhiru lay in a pool of blood. His normally refined and tranquil face was now covered in hardened blood, making his expression impossible to discern.

Li Xuanxiao's eyes lit up as he keenly noticed that the man seemed to still have a faint trace of breath!

He immediately unleashed Pure Lotus Bloom!

A Lotus Platform brimming with endless vitality appeared and gently lifted Yang Zhiru.

After a short while, Yang Zhiru finally reacted!

"Hah hah—cough, cough, cough—"

Yang Zhiru suddenly coughed twice. His eyelids trembled a few times before he opened his eyes.

The two were overjoyed. Ling Yan burst into tears outright. "Master, Master! Wonderful! You're alive!"

Having awakened from unconsciousness, Yang Zhiru was still somewhat dazed. He shouted, "Demons, don't even think of taking another step forward!"

As he shook off Ling Yan's hand, he searched for his blade.

Ling Yan called to him repeatedly, finally allowing Yang Zhiru to recover a measure of awareness.

"You are... Ling Yan?"

Yang Zhiru was first somewhat surprised, then immediately reacted. "Why have you returned? Leave, quickly! Leave Pei Province!"

"This place has already been occupied by Demon Emperors. There are too many of them. We can't let them capture you!"

Li Xuanxiao knelt on one knee and looked at Yang Zhiru. "Deputy General Yang, I'm Li Xuanxiao. Can you tell us what exactly happened to the Demon Slayer Division?"

"Li... Li Xuanxiao?"

Yang Zhiru still seemed somewhat muddled and sluggish, as though he were trying to recall who Li Xuanxiao was.

At last, he remembered something. "Oh, that bold little brat!"

"The Demon Slayer Division... the Demon Slayer Division is finished... Everyone is dead. The General lost an arm as well..."

"Of the eight Hall Masters, six died. We... we couldn't stop the demons' assault..."

"Leave quickly. Several Demon Emperors haven't gone far. They're waiting here to ambush martial artists returning here. Go, quickly!"

Li Xuanxiao's gaze sharpened. They still hadn't left!?

In the next instant, two terrifying auras descended...