Chapter 169: Demonization

Episode 1: Secret Technique 'Three Autumn Leaves'

“It seems the Sky Demon Gate’s high-ranking members also have our informants,” Yang Fang said with a laugh, looking at the intelligence report.

Meng Chuan and Zhang Junfeng both nodded.

This intelligence was entirely expected. Although the Great Yue Dynasty, located on Two World Island, covered the largest territory, its low population density was due to the abundance of islands, jungles, and mountains. Naturally, the demon race would target areas with high population density for their attacks.

“The period of mass migration is our most vulnerable time for all prefectures. We must endure this period,” Zhang Junfeng said. “The seven million residents of Jiangzhou City are relying on us.”

“Understood.”

Meng Chuan and Yang Fang also became solemn.

Once they survived this weakest period, Marquis fiendgods would join them, making the human race’s prefectures much stronger.

Meng Chuan tirelessly patrolled the entire city day after day, but he found no new scouts.

“One of those two Sky Demon Gate disciples has quietly left the city,” Meng Chuan told Zhang Junfeng and Yang Fang, who were beside him. “I’ll go track him.”

“If he goes more than two hundred li outside the city, abandon the pursuit,” Zhang Junfeng instructed. “We still need you to resist sky demons and demon kings.”

“Understood.”

Meng Chuan swiftly and silently departed.

When he suppressed his lightning true essence, he became even more stealthy, though this limited his speed to seventy percent. Still, it was more than enough to track a mortal.

Whoosh, whoosh.

Jiangzhou City was one of the ten largest cities within the Great Zhou Dynasty, with city walls spanning 160 li. Fiendgods had personally built these walls long ago. “Whoosh.” Meng Chuan silently flew over the thirty-zhang-high city wall, covering two li before landing. With two flashes, he had already caught up with the rapidly fleeing Sky Demon Gate scout.

“I’ve made it out of Jiangzhou City alive!” Qian Rucheng sprinted. As a mortal expert who had condensed a demon core, his agility technique allowed him to move much faster than a horse, and far more stealthily. After all, main roads were too conspicuous.

Qian Rucheng’s face was filled with joy, and elation surged in his heart.

It had been very dangerous to venture into Jiangzhou City for reconnaissance. But he had not only survived but also obtained intelligence, for which the Sky Demon Gate would richly reward him.

“So slow,” Meng Chuan thought, following from over a li away. He could only maintain a speed similar to that of a mortal who had condensed a demon core.

Qian Rucheng, however, was traveling at full throttle. He finally arrived at a peach orchard thirty li outside Jiangzhou City. Peach blossoms were everywhere, with some early bloomers already in full splendor. Though beautiful by day, the orchard looked somewhat eerie under the night sky.

Upon reaching the peach orchard, Qian Rucheng took out a whistle and put it to his lips.

The whistle emitted sound waves that spread rapidly, but the sound was completely inaudible to human ears.

“The Sky Demon Gate’s method of transmitting messages is quite interesting,” Meng Chuan mused. With his perception of the power of heaven and earth, he could sense faint sound waves spreading, disturbing the very fabric of the world.

He waited for a moment longer.

“Here they come.”

Meng Chuan’s Primordial Spirit domain sensed an aura rapidly approaching Qian Rucheng, the Sky Demon Gate disciple, from two li away. That demonic energy aura was considerably stronger; it must belong to a sky demon.

“What’s that?” Meng Chuan suppressed his aura and stealthily drew closer. As he got within a li, he could clearly see, aided by the faint moonlight.

A black mist swiftly flew over, only condensing into a black-robed, goat-bearded old man when it reached Qian Rucheng’s side.

Upon seeing the old man, Qian Rucheng immediately said respectfully, “Elder.”

“Nephew Qian,” the goat-bearded old man said with a smile, his eyes glowing with dark red light. “Have you found out everything?”

“This disciple was tasked with investigating three fiendgod mansions and has uncovered some intelligence,” Qian Rucheng said, taking a secret letter from his bosom and respectfully handing it over. “It’s all written here, Elder, please take a look.”

The goat-bearded old man took it, read it, and smiled. “Very good. Let’s wait a bit longer for the other disciples to arrive.”

“Yes,” Qian Rucheng replied obediently, standing to the side. He wouldn’t dare to leave without permission. Those who gathered intelligence returned together afterward and were forbidden from contacting the outside world for a period.

The goat-bearded old man and Qian Rucheng waited in the peach orchard, while Meng Chuan silently monitored them from a li away.

Half an hour later, another scout arrived at the peach orchard and blew the silent whistle. The goat-bearded old man and Qian Rucheng then met up with that scout. This scout was, naturally, the other one Meng Chuan had deliberately let go.

Time passed…

The night gradually faded.

The goat-bearded old man looked up at the horizon, where a faint light was already appearing, and frowned. “Only two of you actually made it out alive?”

Qian Rucheng and the other scout exchanged glances, both feeling a lingering fear.

Seventeen disciples went in? Only two came out?

“No Marquis fiendgods, and Jiangzhou City is so vast, yet so many disciples failed?” The goat-bearded old man frowned slightly, then sneered. “It seems the human race’s fiendgods have set up an inescapable net in Jiangzhou City. What a pity, without Marquis fiendgods, what use are many ordinary fiendgods?”

“This is the address,” the goat-bearded old man said, tossing out a paper scroll. “Both of you, quickly proceed to this location.”

Qian Rucheng and the other scout looked at the scroll and immediately nodded.

“Whoosh.” A large amount of black mist emanated from the goat-bearded old man’s body, eventually transforming him into a black flying bird.

The black bird swiftly soared into the sky and flew off into the distance.

From a li away, Meng Chuan’s heart trembled at the sight. “He can fly?”

Sky demons follow a very unique cultivation system.

They cultivate demonic power in a human body. They gradually 'demonize' but are different from true demons. For instance, this goat-bearded old man’s 'demonization' allowed him to transform into a flying beast.

“If he flies too high, I won’t be able to pursue him,” Meng Chuan sighed inwardly.

The black bird had originally soared upwards, reaching a height of over a hundred zhang. But a streak of lightning flashed across the sky, shooting up from the peach orchard a li away. Its speed was incomparably faster, as if a lightning bolt had instantly struck the bird that was trying to fly even higher.

“Oh no.” The black bird also noticed the incoming lightning. Knowing it was in trouble, it desperately flapped its wings, attempting to fly higher.

It could fly very high; reaching several thousand zhang, or even ten thousand zhang, was not difficult for it.

However, this lightning bolt gave it no time to ascend further.

“That’s…” The black bird only saw a blurred human figure within the lightning. Immediately after, a large number of Great Sun realm true essence threads drilled into its body, instantly sealing its demon core and rendering it unable to use even a trace of demonic power.

The black bird disintegrated and transformed back into its original human form.

Meng Chuan held the goat-bearded old man by the neck with one hand, as if he were holding a small chick.

“It’s over, it’s over. It’s a human fiendgod. I’ve fallen into the hands of a fiendgod,” the goat-bearded old man’s heart turned completely cold.

Meanwhile, in the peach orchard, the two Sky Demon Gate disciples had just seen their elder fly into the sky when he was struck by a bolt of lightning.

The lightning also revealed the human figure within it.

“It’s a fiendgod.” Qian Rucheng and the other Sky Demon Gate disciple were filled with terror and despair. Sky Demon Gate disciples feared encountering fiendgods the most, and they were so scared they immediately split up and fled.

“Boom, boom.”

In mid-air, as Meng Chuan descended, holding the Sky Demon Gate Elder, he glanced at Qian Rucheng and the other Sky Demon Gate disciple. With a wave of his hand, two lightning bolts flew out, striking each of the two disciples. Then, with another flash of lightning in mid-air, he carried the Sky Demon Gate Elder directly towards Jiangzhou City.