Wind-Treading Wandering Dragon Steps! Beneath Azure Mist City's Walls

Back in the courtyard, Yang Xiao took out "Wind-Treading Wandering Dragon Steps" and opened the cover.

The text of the cultivation technique flowed before his eyes, and with a thought, he placed the book into his Equipment Slot.

[Aperture Opening - Wind-Treading Wandering Dragon Steps]

[Effect 1: Mastery of "Wind-Treading Wandering Dragon Steps" is now at its maximum.]

[Effect 2: Gain the blue affix "Wind Riding": Light as a feather, moving with the wind. Can use the wind to move, greatly increasing speed; can briefly hover in the air and change direction.]

[Permanent fixation condition: Equip for thirty days or kill a Demon at the Aperture-Opening Realm.]

A profound realization flooded his mind, as if countless masters of the past were demonstrating this Movement Technique in his mind, moving with the wind, like a dragon swimming in the sea, advancing and retreating with fluid grace.

At the same time, a new entry appeared in the Equipment Slot: Wind Riding.

Yang Xiao felt the power surging within him, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

With this movement Movement Technique, his mobility will be greatly enhanced when facing powerful demons in the Aperture-Opening Realm who excel in speed, allowing him to handle both pursuit and evasion with ease.

As dusk approached and the appointed time drew near, Yang Xiao got up and went out.

Outside the Demon-Slaying Battalion, three figures were already waiting.

Zhou Zheng stood tall, carrying a silver-white Great Halberd on his back. Yan Tieyi stood like an iron tower, arms crossed. When he saw Yang Xiao approaching, he grinned, revealing his white teeth.

"Deputy General Yang has arrived."

Meng Jiu stood to the side, gesturing with his palms, a faint smile on his face, "I thought you were going to prepare for a while longer."

Yang Xiao approached, his gaze sweeping over the three of them, and he nodded slightly.

Let's go.

Without saying much, the four of them headed southwest along the official road in front of the Demon Suppression Division Bureau.

Azure Mist City is about 900 li southwest of Qingzhou City. At their pace, they can reach it in a day and a night by marching at full speed.

The four arrived in Azure Mist City on the evening of the second day.

As the sun set, a dark red sunset painted the horizon, making the outline of Azure Mist City appear as if it were cast in iron.

The city was built against She Mountain behind it, with walls about three zhang high and several watchtowers at the corners.

But there was not a single guard in sight. The city gates were wide open, and the interior was dark and gloomy, like the gaping maw of a giant beast, ready to devour anyone who might enter.

Zhou Zheng reined in the reins, squinted at the empty city gate, and frowned deeply.

"This looks... kind of fierce."

"No rush into the city, let's go to the camp first." Yan Tieyi dismounted, clearly familiar with this situation. "Let's see what the situation is now."

Led by Yan Tieyi, the four of them circled around to their encampment, which was about a mile outside the city.

The encampment was a large, makeshift tent. A faded banner of the Demon Suppression Division stood on one side of the entrance, and a dozen or so Demon Horse grazed leisurely on wild grass not far away.

At this moment, the tent flap was slightly ajar, and faint voices could be heard coming from inside.

Yan Tieyi lifted the curtain and bumped into a lieutenant general dressed in the attire of the Demon Suppression Division Deputy General.

The man was about fifty years old, with a thin face, sunken eyes, and a layer of dark stubble on his chin, clearly indicating that he had not had a proper rest for many days.

He was standing at the table with a bowl of cold tea when he saw Yan Tieyi and the other three enter. His hand trembled, and a few drops of tea spilled out.

He paused for a moment, then put down his teacup and bowed respectfully.

"Deputy General Yan?"

"It's me." Yan Tieyi nodded and stepped aside to let the three people behind him pass.

Lin Yuan nodded slightly, then raised his hand to rub his reddened eyes. "You're late. Most of the nearby Deputy General generals who could come have already arrived and gone into the city."

"They've entered the city?" Meng Jiu stepped forward. "How's the situation?"

Lin Yuan sighed, turned around, pulled out a stool, and gestured for the others to sit down and talk.

"When we arrived, Azure Mist City had already been occupied by the Seven Demons of She Mountain."

"They seized control of the entire city with overwhelming force, forcibly driving away tens of thousands of citizens and concentrating them all near the City Lord's Residence in the city center."

"Tens of thousands of civilians?" Yan Tieyi slammed his fist on the table, his face so dark it could drip water. "What do they want?"

Lin Yuan shook his head, picked up the bowl of cold tea, took a sip, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"I don't know. The Seven Demons didn't kill any civilians; they just imprisoned them near the City Lord's Residence. They didn't commit any murders, but they weren't allowed to leave."

Meng Jiu pondered for a moment, then tapped his fingers lightly twice on the edge of the table.

"The six demons openly obstructed the Demon Suppression Division and gathered people at the City Lord's Residence... This suggests that White Ape Lord may have another plan."

"That's right." Lin Yuan nodded, walked to the wall, and pointed to the city wall that formed a circle on the defense map.

"According to the reports from the Deputy General who went in, any Deputy General who tries to approach the City Lord's Residence will be stopped by a powerful demon at the Aperture-Opening Realm. Ordinary Deputy General simply cannot get through."

Yan Tieyi, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up and asked, "Who is the Deputy General stationed here? Why hasn't he made a move?"

Lin Yuan's hand, which was pointing at the defensive diagram, froze in mid-air. His expression changed, and he remained silent for a moment.

"Deputy General Shen Jingxian... disappeared the day the Seven Demons appeared."

"Missing?"

Yan Tieyi's eyes widened, and he suddenly stood up. "A Deputy General at the Mysterious Core Realm, just vanished like that?"

"We've searched the entire camp and the city, but there's no trace of them." Lin Yuan smiled bitterly, spreading his hands. "Neither alive nor dead."

A moment of silence fell over the hall.

A gust of wind picked up outside the window, making the faded flag flap loudly. The candlelight on the table flickered, casting the four people's shadows on the wall, making them appear longer and shorter.

A Deputy General at the peak of the Aperture-Penetration Realm disappeared on the first day of the Demon siege. Was it an accident or a scheme?

Yan Tieyi took a deep breath, suppressing his doubts, and asked again, "What about the other Deputy General who entered the city? Which powerful demons did they capture?"

Hearing news that interested him, Yang Xiao perked up, his eyes gleaming as he awaited a reply.

He came here to kill the Aperture Opening demon, so naturally he hoped to have another chance to make a move.

Lin Yuan glanced at the group, then shook his head with a wry smile.

"We've killed quite a few Demon at the Qi Gathering Realm and Liquid Condensation Realm, but those six Aperture-Opening Realm..."

He stopped talking and let out a long breath.

"Not a single one was killed."

Everyone was taken aback.

"Not a single one killed?" Meng Jiu frowned. "So many Deputy General entered the city, and they couldn't even take down a single powerful demon at the Aperture-Opening Realm?"

"The six demons blocking the way are all at least in the late stage of the Aperture-Opening Realm."

Lin Yuan sighed, plopped back into his chair, which creaked under the weight. "You Demon-Slaying Battalion soldiers are used to fighting alone. You struggle even in one-on-one combat, let alone helping each other."

"I don't know much more. You should ask the Deputy General inside the city."

"The city is in chaos right now, there are battles everywhere, you could run into one anytime."

"However, it's actually quite good that those Demon gathered the common people together; they inadvertently did a good deed, and they won't have to worry about being caught in the crossfire and losing their lives..."

After listening to Lin Yuan's words, Zhou Zheng pondered for a moment, then turned to look at the three of them.

"What do you guys say, team up or split up?"

"I'm definitely going in alone." Yan Tieyi grinned, cracking his knuckles as he moved his wrists.

As a cultivator at the peak of the Aperture-Opening Realm, he was confident enough to sweep away all the Demon in Azure Mist City.

Meng Jiu nodded, took out the Qi-Gathering Bottle from his waist, and weighed it in his palm.

"I'm also alone; I'll use the Qi-Gathering Bottle to send any messages."

Zhou Zheng and Yang Xiao exchanged a glance. Although the latter didn't say anything, his eyes clearly showed that he also wanted to enter the city alone.

"Alright, then let's see who has the best skills."