Zhou Qiong entered the flying carriage and sat upright on the demonic dragon throne, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. He had not had as easy a time as he had let on. Luna's sudden breakthrough to the Martial God Realm had caught him by surprise. The black ring within the Demon God Eye was still turning, but tiny cracks had appeared on it.
The Demon God Eye hidden between his brows had also dimmed. Unleashing the Divine Light of Annihilation was somewhat beyond what Zhou Qiong could bear at present. The Demon God Eye had already fused with him, and its damage had left him with serious internal injuries as well.
Zhou Qiong was speechless too. He had been injured as soon as he arrived in this world. After finally recovering his strength, he had barely shown off once before running into Luna and getting injured again. His luck could not have been worse.
As Zhou Qiong silently tended to his injuries, he had no idea that news of him had shaken the entire continent.
Inside the council hall of the Great Yu Dynasty.
"You're saying Zhou Qiong defeated the Demon Emperor with a single move?"
"And a bird-person with four pairs of wings appeared?"
"That terrifying presence came from that bird-person?"
"In the end, Zhou Qiong fought her. Zhou Qiong was unharmed, and the bird-person disappeared?"
"The Demon Sect's higher-ups have all broken through to the Martial Emperor Realm or above?"
King Yu grimly questioned the Brocade Guard kneeling below him to deliver the news. He truly found such information difficult to accept. The assembled officials in the hall also stared fixedly at the kneeling Brocade Guard. The news was simply too shocking.
"Your Majesty, every word this subordinate has spoken is true. Many martial artists in Linhai City witnessed it with their own eyes."
King Yu looked toward the Demon Sect's headquarters, a faint sense of helplessness rising in his heart. He had refused to admit defeat since childhood, relying on his talent and schemes to become emperor of the Great Yu Dynasty. He had instituted imperial examinations to select officials from humble backgrounds and worked diligently, making the Great Yu Dynasty ever stronger, with signs that it might become the foremost dynasty.
Nor had he neglected his cultivation. His early-stage Martial Sovereign cultivation ranked among the very best on the entire continent. Even when Zhou Qiong had broken through to Martial Sovereign at eighteen, he had merely considered him a heaven-blessed genius and believed himself no weaker. But today's news had shattered that belief. Zhou Qiong might very well have far surpassed what others knew of him.
Apart from him, the Great Yu Dynasty had only three Martial Emperor Realm experts, all princes of the dynasty, while the Demon Sect already had more than twenty such figures.
The major factions across the continent all received the news. Some refused to believe it, some cursed Heaven at the top of their lungs for being blind, and others harbored thoughts of going to join the Demon Sect.
Inside the demonic dragon flying carriage, Zhou Qiong neither knew what outsiders thought of him nor cared to know.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host on completing the mission. Rewards: a Profound Understanding Realm mountain-protecting formation and twenty thousand Villain Points." Item: True Demon Mountain-Protecting Formation Level: Profound Understanding, level five Functions: increases Spiritual Qi, protects the mountain "Ding! Congratulations to the host on completing the hidden mission: slay the fallen angel. Reward: fifty thousand Villain Points."
Zhou Qiong gave a soft sound of surprise. No item reward, only Villain Points. Was that a feature of hidden missions-none of them offering item rewards-or was there some other reason? Still, the extra fifty thousand Villain Points were certainly an unexpected delight.
The demonic dragon carriage stopped in the air above Heavenly Demon Peak. Zhou Qiong stepped out and looked down at the mountain below. Heavenly Demon Peak had served as the Demon Sect's headquarters for hundreds of years. Built through the efforts of many generations, it was truly magnificent, its slopes crowded with palaces that could house tens of thousands of people at once.
The mountain was also covered in formations, making it like copper walls and iron ramparts. Even a Martial God Realm martial artist would struggle to breach it quickly. The members of the Demon Sect saw a transparent model appear in Zhou Qiong's hand aboard the flying carriage. Shaped like a mountain, it descended to envelop the peak below when Zhou Qiong casually tossed it out.
The model grew larger and larger in the air, instantly enveloping the entire Heavenly Demon Peak. The mountain-protecting formations within the peak shattered at once, but the Demon Sect members on the mountain hardly felt anything. Heavenly Demon Peak suddenly shuddered and rose another several hundred meters. Vortices filled with Spiritual Qi appeared in the air. One breath of them invigorated the Demon Sect members, as though they had consumed miraculous elixirs.
Many who were on the verge of a breakthrough immediately sat cross-legged and absorbed it with all their might, the presence of breakthroughs bursting from their bodies. For a time, the sounds of breakthroughs rang out throughout the Demon Sect. Even those who had not broken through hurriedly sat down to circulate their cultivation and meditate, doing their utmost to absorb the Spiritual Qi vortices.
The many Demon Sect higher-ups aboard the flying carriage were also deeply shocked. Hall Master Wan nudged the Demon Tiger King from behind. The Demon Tiger King immediately understood: he wanted him to ask. "Sect Master, what wonderful thing is this?"
Zhou Qiong glanced at the Demon Tiger King. He was quite fond of this broad-shouldered, thick-waisted man, who was bold yet meticulous and, most importantly, loyal. Zhou Qiong had once saved him when he was little, and he had been utterly devoted to Zhou Qiong ever since.
"This is a new mountain-protecting formation I obtained. It can increase Spiritual Qi. Even a Martial God would find it difficult to breach."
"You truly are amazing, Sect Master." The Demon Tiger King rubbed his head.
Half a month later, Zhou Qiong sat upright on the demonic dragon throne, his expression somewhat dark. No matter how he cultivated over the past half month, he had been unable to heal his internal injuries. The Gods and Devils Eye affected him too deeply; unless its injury healed, he could not recover. He had searched through everything in the shop. He could not afford anything that could repair the Gods and Devils Eye, while the things he could afford were of little use.
His current condition could be said to be hardly any better than when he first transmigrated. It seemed he could only use this method. It was indeed time for the Demon Sect to make a move, too. Zhou Qiong lightly tapped his chair a few times.
A figure wearing a golden mask appeared in the great hall.
"This subordinate, Di Yi, pays his respects to the Sect Master."
"Which division is closest to Golden Mountain Temple at present?"
"Reporting to the Sect Master, the Profound Division is currently closest to Golden Mountain Temple."
"Good. Pass down my order. Have them investigate Golden Mountain Temple's foundations. Find out whether the abbot is in the temple and whether there are any hidden experts."
"As you command."
The shadow vanished from the great hall. Zhou Qiong murmured silently to himself, What can I do? It's a mission. I didn't want to accept it, but there's no other choice. Besides, doesn't the Demon Sect exist to destroy the righteous sects?
Zhou Qiong glanced at the mission pinned at the top of the system: "First destroy Golden Mountain, then destroy Hanging Sky." Completing it would heal all his injuries and raise his cultivation by one minor realm.
Golden Mountain Temple lay fifty li away. In Jinwu City, people bustled in and out of the entrance to the Yuelai Inn. The Yuelai Inn had suddenly become popular across the Cangwu Continent five years ago, opening countless branches almost overnight. There were Yuelai Inn branches in cities under the jurisdiction of every major dynasty and sect alike.
No one knew who had founded the Yuelai Inn, only that it had powerful backing. None who dared cause trouble at the Yuelai Inn had met a good end.
In a private room on the inn's third floor, a figure sat cross-legged, cultivating. The innkeeper brought over a bottle of wine and knocked gently on the door.
A voice came from inside. "Who is it?"
"Wine delivery from the inn."
"Come in."
The innkeeper pushed open the door and entered the private room, closing the door behind him. He placed the wine on the table in the room and knelt before the figure sitting cross-legged on the bed.
"This subordinate pays his respects to the Chief."