Human Path, Demon Path

The three had not gone far when they heard the earth-shaking roar of mountains trembling in the distance.

Those human cultivators and Demon Race experts from earlier seemed to have been following the Taihao Emperor Bell toward the Li Ancient Secret Repository.

On the great road through the borderlands, Xu Yan spotted countless soldiers clad in golden armor, riding spirit horses and wielding gilded spears. They had formed an evolution formation and were marching mightily in this direction!

Their ranks were orderly, and at a glance, there were several thousand of them.

Their tyrannical, majestic aura crushed everything. Every soldier was elite, hardened through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

That was the Moat Dragon Army!

Like a sharp sword, they were sweeping away the demons and fiends that had crossed the borderlands.

The stench of blood billowed into the heavens. Severed limbs and broken corpses carpeted the ground, while demon blood gathered into streams that flowed onward.

Within the southern mountains to the left, several Grandmasters could vaguely be seen locked in battle!

"Godfather..."

Xu Yan fixed his gaze upon the depths of the mountains.

In the skies, an armored man wielded the Heaven-Shaking Spear. He tore through the clouds, stirring up vast currents of astral wind as he battled Xiaofengzi.

The golden armor Xu Fei wore was engraved with python evolution inscriptions. It had been bestowed upon him by Emperor Jiaguang when he was granted his title of prince.

With innate astral winds beneath his feet, he moved through the horde of demons as though entering an uninhabited land.

That long spear shook heaven and earth, seeming to crack even space itself.

"Xiaofengzi, you have some nerve. You still dare show yourself in this world!"

Xu Fei's voice was like thunder, reverberating across the lofty heavens. His black hair whipped wildly about, and his eyes brimmed with savage fury.

Innate astral winds coiled around his spear, and its domineering power sent chills down the spine.

With an angry roar, he thrust his spear forth in a crushing strike.

Xiaofengzi spewed demon wind in resistance. The fur all over his body stood on end like steel needles.

In their clash, the mountains within a hundred zhang were flattened to level ground.

Smoke, dust, and shattered stones filled the sky.

Elsewhere, Jiang Qingcheng was battling demon kings such as the Corpse Stiff King.

The commotion there was utterly terrifying. As Grandmasters fought, even the earth veins were heaved upward.

Xu Yan carried the jade token of Prince Wu'an's Residence. The moment he appeared here, Xu Fei had noticed him.

Xu Fei suddenly turned his head, his pupils trembling slightly. Yan'er, why is he here?!

White Bone Madam also sensed a familiar aura. She stared fixedly in that direction, her dark eyes locked onto Luo Yujing as she gritted her teeth. "Xiaofengzi, it was that stinking Daoist who stole the sacred relic!"

The Whistling Wind Demon King's eyes, crimson as blazing suns, shifted onto Luo Yujing. Upon discovering that he possessed a Demon Race body, his fury deepened further. He growled in a low voice, "You deserve to die!"

With that, he stepped into the wind and fled at astonishing speed.

Yan Qing and the other two were chilled to the bone. They immediately formed evolution inscriptions with their fingers and shrank the earth into inches as they fled.

Xu Fei reacted just as swiftly. His expression darkened as he gripped his spear and gave chase. Sensing the killing intent bearing down from behind, Xiaofengzi had no choice but to turn back and block him.

Another clash of divine abilities erupted.

The vast heavens seemed to darken as winds swept away clouds, mountains crumbled, and the earth split apart.

"Catch that stinking Daoist at any cost!" White Bone Madam shrieked sharply.

In an instant, a horde of demons, ghosts, and monsters surged from all directions like a tidal wave, pursuing Xu Yan and the other two.

Xu Fei's face darkened. As he held Xiaofengzi back, he shouted toward someone in the Moat Dragon Army, "Liu Qing, escort Yan'er out of this place!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Within the Moat Dragon Army, the middle-aged man at the front immediately clasped his hands and stepped out, speeding toward Xu Yan.

Spear in hand, he charged and slaughtered his way forward. One demon beast and monster after another was cut down where it stood.

This Steward Liu was the second most powerful figure in Prince Wu'an's Residence, beneath Xu Fei alone.

He had only entered the Red-Dust Guest realm a few years ago, and his reputation was at its height!

From the depths of Mang Mountain to its outskirts was at least tens of thousands of li.

It was not until dusk two days later.

Within the Ten-Thousand Mang Mountains, the corpses of demons, ghosts, and monsters could be seen everywhere, along with the bodies of many human cultivators.

Xu Yan and the other two had scarcely paused for even a moment.

After traveling for two full days, they were finally nearing the outskirts of Mang Mountain.

In the distance, Plum Mountain could vaguely be seen, hidden within the rosy glow of dusk.

Summer had already arrived. The crimson hues upon Plum Mountain were gradually fading, its flower buds closing in dormancy as the mountain turned verdant green.

Never before had Yan Qing missed Shangyin Academy so deeply.

After being pursued by those demons, ghosts, and monsters for two days, the tension in the three of them finally eased.

Though Shangyin Academy was a literary academy, it was protected by a great formation. No matter how bold the Demon Race might be, they would not dare barge into Great Yin territory.

Within the valley of Plum Mountain, many students could vaguely be seen holding scrolls and swaying their heads as the sound of their recitations rang without end.

The three stopped at the foot of Plum Mountain.

"We're finally back." A faint smile hung at the corner of Xu Yan's lips as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

No one knew what he was thinking. He glanced at the Human-Serpent Evolution Pattern on his chest. Within the human half of the pattern, a thumb-sized bell mark could vaguely be seen, cradled in the hands of the human figure.

Luo Yujing stopped and looked up toward Plum Mountain's summit.

Beneath the sunset glow, the Master's Hall could still seemingly be seen.

"Senior Brother, come with me to see Master. Once Master learns you're alive, he'll surely be overjoyed!" Yan Qing said excitedly.

With a precious tome such as the Secret Solar Inheritance brought back, Shangyin Academy's martial path would surely rise with the tide. Moreover, Master Xun's long-missed third disciple, a peerless talent accomplished in both literature and martial arts, had returned.

"Senior Brother?" Seeing Luo Yujing standing there in a daze, Yan Qing immediately tugged at his arm.

The latter took a deep breath. His eyes were unfathomably deep, and demon aura seemed to ripple within them.

After pondering for a moment, Luo Yujing solemnly took the enormous golden scroll from his storage pouch and tossed the Secret Solar Inheritance to Yan Qing.

"Junior Brother, this is as far as I'll escort you."

"Third Senior Brother, what are you doing?" Yan Qing stared wide-eyed, his heart tightening as he asked.

"Trouble yourself to convey a few words to Master for me. Tell him that I, Luo Yujing, am grateful for Master's teachings throughout these years, and I shall never dare forget them in this life." Luo Yujing spoke in a low voice. "I no longer possess a human body. I have walked the demon path."

If he returned to Great Yin in such a body, who knew how many cold stares and taboos he would face.

Moreover, when Master Xun had discovered Luo Yujing's corpse years ago, he had seen a nine-colored centipede crawl out from his abdomen.

At that time, Luo Yujing had only just seized a body. His divine consciousness was still muddled, entangled with the centipede's Primordial Spirit within his Niwan Palace.

With Master Xun's cultivation and attainments, he could clearly have killed that centipede, yet he had still let him go. He had likely guessed some of the truth.

Even so, he had erected a grave for his third disciple.

The meaning behind it was self-evident.

Luo Yujing was exceptionally intelligent. He thought that if he truly took this step and returned to Shangyin, Master Xun would likely regard him as a monster and kill him.

"Perhaps fate will allow us to meet again. Junior Brothers, farewell."

Luo Yujing drew a deep breath. Then, without further hesitation, he rode rolling spiritual radiance away from the foot of Plum Mountain within a few breaths.

"Senior Brother!"

Watching that figure gradually vanish beyond the horizon, Yan Qing wanted to chase after him. Yet after some thought, he stopped, his expression darkening as he let out a soft sigh.