At the city lord's residence in East Forest City, half an hour after the demonic cultivator from the Myriad Demon Abyss left, a figure speeding along on a flying sword landed inside.
The dazzling sword light was particularly striking in the night.
City Lord Liu Quan initially thought the demonic cultivator had returned, but to his surprise, the arrival was his daughter.
Yet Liu Quan was somewhat puzzled. According to Yurou, the Evergreen Sect was a full hundred li from East Forest City.
Only half an hour had passed since he sent Yurou a message. She had only just begun cultivating, so how could she have reached the residence so quickly?
Unable to hold back, Liu Quan asked, "Yurou, were you carrying out a sect mission nearby? How did you get home so quickly?"
Liu Yurou smiled. "Father, it's only a hundred li. I can cover that in half an hour."
"Excellent!" Liu Quan exclaimed. "As expected of my daughter, a genius among geniuses! But why didn't your Evergreen Sect's sect master come with you today?"
Liu Yurou shook her head gently. "Why trouble Master to come for a mere Qi Refining demonic cultivator? I alone am enough to destroy him."
"Still, I brought a few sect disciples along on this trip. That demonic cultivator is already surrounded by our disciples. Father, please wait a moment. I'll capture him and bring him here."
A trace of worry appeared on Liu Quan's face. "Yurou, that demonic cultivator has already reached mid Qi Refining. You only entered an immortal sect recently. Are you a match for him?"
Rather than answer, Liu Yurou asked, "Father, haven't you noticed that I've grown a few years older?"
Only then did Liu Quan study his daughter closely in the moonlight. He was startled. "Yurou, why do you look so much older?"
Liu Yurou offered no explanation, merely saying calmly, "Father, your daughter has already entered the Foundation Establishment Realm. I can destroy a mere Qi Refining demonic cultivator with a single stroke of my sword.
"Tonight, I will find that demonic cultivator's lair and wipe out the Myriad Demon Abyss completely. It has tormented our East Forest City for twenty-odd years. Today, it's time to settle accounts with the Myriad Demon Abyss."
Liu Quan heard that his daughter had already entered the Foundation Establishment Stage. That made her a great cultivator of the second realm, someone who existed only in legends. He had never seen one in his entire life.
To think his daughter had reached this realm in just half a month! His Liu family was truly about to soar into the heavens.
If his daughter had already attained Foundation Establishment cultivation, wouldn't the Evergreen Sect's sect master be even more unfathomably powerful?
At that thought, Liu Quan finally relaxed completely.
"Good, then do whatever you need to! The Myriad Demon Abyss has bullied our East Forest City beyond all bounds, murdering countless innocent children. They deserve ten thousand deaths!"
Liu Yurou nodded lightly, then shot into the air and flew toward a certain part of East Forest City.
The Misty Rain Pavilion was a place where East Forest City's wealthy residents and traveling merchants regularly stopped to rest and listen to music.
At that moment, a lavish-spending middle-aged man was in a private room on the third floor of the Misty Rain Pavilion, taking on several courtesans alone without falling behind in the slightest.
What he did not know was that two Evergreen Sect disciples had already taken rooms on either side of his, though both wore unpleasant expressions and looked somewhat angry.
Gradually, the sounds in the middle-aged man's private room grew quieter.
Had anyone swept the room with their spiritual sense, they would have discovered that the women inside had all fallen to the floor, their signs of life gone, while the middle-aged man still seemed unsatisfied.
Just as he was about to ask the Misty Rain Pavilion's proprietor to send up a few more women, a terrifying pressure descended straight from the heavens.
The middle-aged man's expression instantly turned grave. He smashed through the window and fled into the distance.
Never in his dreams had he imagined this. He had merely come to East Forest City to collect tribute and amuse himself at the Misty Rain Pavilion along the way.
To think a Foundation Establishment cultivator would pass through! The other party seemed to have discovered that he had used demonic arts to drain several women dry.
The middle-aged man felt some regret. Had he known, he would have behaved himself and stayed here for a few days, then left with the tribute once City Lord Liu Quan had gathered enough.
He had spent more than twenty years treading carefully to attain his current cultivation and had no wish to throw his life away here. He used every means at his disposal to escape.
But what he did not know was that Liu Yurou's spiritual sense had already locked onto him.
After the demonic cultivator fled several li beyond East Forest City, a brilliant streak of sword light slashed down, cutting him in half at the waist.
Liu Yurou looked at the bisected corpse, a trace of puzzlement on her face.
As she approached, she discovered that the corpse had turned into two pieces of a wooden puppet. This man was also proficient in substitution arts and had actually used a substitute puppet to block her sword strike.
Liu Yurou snorted coldly. She instantly extended her spiritual sense to its limit and began inspecting her surroundings inch by inch. In those few seconds, he could not possibly have escaped the range of her spiritual sense.
A few breaths later, Liu Yurou gave another cold snort, having found the demonic cultivator's hiding place.
Her powerful spiritual sense slammed straight into him. As the demonic cultivator felt the impact in his sea of consciousness, his face instantly turned pale. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his entire body weakening considerably.
His face was now filled with terror. He had never expected a Foundation Establishment cultivator to pass through such a remote place, much less a Foundation Establishment sword cultivator.
Although he was already a mid Qi Refining cultivator, the gap between him and a Foundation Establishment cultivator was immense.
Unable to conceal himself any longer, the demonic cultivator from the Myriad Demon Abyss emerged trembling. He respectfully cupped his hands toward Liu Yurou and said:
"This junior did not know that Senior had come here. If I have disturbed or offended you, please show mercy and spare this lowly one's life. I swear to abandon evil and return to the righteous path. If I break my word, may heaven strike me with lightning."
Liu Yurou snorted coldly and said:
"Demon, do you still recognize me?"
Only then did the demonic cultivator raise his head to glance at Liu Yurou. His face filled with disbelief.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could it be you?"
The demonic cultivator had recognized Liu Yurou, the daughter of East Forest City's lord, Liu Quan.
But at this time last year, when he came to East Forest City to collect tribute, she had still been a frail, delicate girl. Why had she become a great Foundation Establishment cultivator in just one year?
How was that possible? Even demonic cultivators like them, using every means at their disposal, could not possibly break through to Foundation Establishment in a year.
Something suddenly occurred to the demonic cultivator.
"To think you had such aptitude! Had I known, I never would have given you up back then because of that old bastard Liu Quan's threats.
"Had I known your aptitude was so exceptional and taken you back with me then, I imagine I would already have entered the Foundation Establishment Realm by now, wouldn't I?"
At his words, Liu Yurou severely wounded the demonic cultivator with a Wind-Splitting Claw.
Just then, the Evergreen Sect's two Qi Refining Sixth Layer disciples hurried over. Seeing that Liu Yurou had already severely wounded the demonic cultivator, they immediately seized him, then looked toward her and asked:
"Senior Sister, how should we deal with this demonic cultivator?"
Liu Yurou thought for a moment and said:
"You two, pry the location of the Myriad Demon Abyss's hideout out of this demonic cultivator. Today, our Evergreen Sect will carry out justice on heaven's behalf and wipe out the Myriad Demon Abyss completely."