Chapter 2479: Drive the Tiger to Devour the Wolf

Zu'an felt a thought spark, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared, eluding his grasp no matter how hard he tried to recall it. He knew there was no point in rushing; he would simply have to wait for inspiration to strike him naturally.

He set off in the direction Pei Mianman had taken, inquiring along the way, but unfortunately, he found no clues. Given Pei Mianman's striking beauty and distinctive figure, anyone who had seen her would surely have remembered her vividly, just as people in the previous town had. However, with the demon invasion, vast stretches of the wilderness were desolate, and he encountered no one on his journey, making it impossible to gather information. He eventually reached a few small towns, but after thorough inquiries, he found no one who had seen Pei Mianman.

Zu'an pondered that too much time had passed, and the search area was too vast. Manman might not have passed through these specific towns, or even if she had, she might not have rested there. After much deliberation, he decided to first gather information from the demon side. After all, based on the intelligence he had received, Manman most likely altered her route due to information about the Glazed Hairpin Flower.

He had previously obtained intelligence from the Saintess about the current demon forces, which were broadly divided into four divisions. One division, accompanying the Lord of Slaughter, was stationed near the Demon Royal Mausoleum, likely serving as his personal guard. Another division was commanded by King Morga, consisting mainly of veteran demon soldiers, though it had now been almost entirely annihilated. A third division consisted of various warlords who led their own powerful and influential demon forces in widespread conquests. The fourth and final division was the main army, led by the Demon Lord himself. This was the most powerful force, tasked with coordinating the conquest of the entire cultivation world. Nominally, all divisions except the one guarding the Demon Royal Mausoleum were under his command.

The Demon Lord's division was positioned approximately tens of thousands of miles from the demon resistance army, directly between the Demon Royal Mausoleum and the resistance forces. While tens of thousands of miles would have been a great distance in his previous life, it was not an unmanageable journey in this era where everyone practiced cultivation.

Zu'an decided to visit the Demon Lord's camp first. He was well aware that although he had defeated the Demon Lord before, the Demon Lord's cultivation had been suppressed by the world barrier, and Zu'an had been able to leverage the world's law beacon to communicate with Heaven and Earth. It was this combination of factors, weakening the enemy while strengthening himself, that had allowed him to triumph. Now, in this world brimming with vital energy, the demons' cultivation was clearly unhindered, while Zu'an himself had lost his authority over the world. This reversal of circumstances meant that facing the Demon Lord again would be extremely dangerous for him.

However, in this era, the Lord of Slaughter was undoubtedly the most powerful entity; otherwise, the Demon Lord, commanding such immense power, would have already rebelled. Even in later generations, after being suppressed for millennia, the Lord of Slaughter was only vanquished when Qiu Honglei's Heaven and Earth Ritual Dance summoned an indescribable entity, and she herself paid a terrible price. In the current era, the Lord of Slaughter was at his peak, and even the Demon Lord was no match for him. Therefore, a strategy of "driving a tiger to swallow a wolf" was clearly necessary.

He traveled day and night without rest. With the abundant vital energy in this world and his unique cultivation method, he had achieved a state of perpetual vitality, ensuring his readiness for any future battles. Periodically, he would enter the blessed land within his pendant to visit Qiu Honglei and the Jing Teng sisters, chatting with them about events unfolding in the outside world. When Qiu Honglei learned he was now in the cultivation world of thousands of years ago, she couldn't help but marvel. However, upon hearing that he would once again face the fearsome Lord of Slaughter, her face paled with worry.

Zu'an gently squeezed her soft hand. "Honglei, don't worry," he reassured her. "This time is different. I won't put myself in such a desperate situation, nor will I let anyone close to me come to harm."

Qiu Honglei hummed softly and nestled gently into his embrace. "Listening to your tales of what happened later has truly been thrilling these past few days," she said. "You're so capable; I believe you'll be fine." The two nestled together, exchanging tender words, and gradually Qiu Honglei drifted off to sleep again. Her complexion was now much rosier, clearly indicating an improvement, but as she was still recovering from severe injuries, she remained quite weak and would grow sleepy after only a short conversation. Zu'an understood that her recovery couldn't be rushed and that he would need to take his time, gradually nurturing her with spiritual herbs. With her and the Jing Teng sisters accompanying him, the journey didn't feel tedious.

As he continued his journey, time seemed to fly by, and he eventually arrived at the demon army's encampment. Upon seeing the military camp stretching for thousands of miles, Zu'an's expression became solemn. The demons were indeed vastly numerous. He recalled that in later eras, the sheer numbers of the demon race had already posed a significant problem during the war between humans and them. But the number of these fiends was far greater than that of the demon race he knew from the future. Furthermore, from a considerable distance, he could sense the presence of countless powerful individuals within the camp. If he were discovered, his chances of survival would be slim. This was not the future era when he held authority over the world, so Zu'an dared not show the slightest carelessness. After laying down another formation on the periphery, he cautiously made his way towards the military camp. He had already established several dozen such teleportation arrays, prioritizing safety above all else.

"Halt! Who are you?" Two patrolling demon soldiers on the perimeter quickly spotted him.

Zu'an did not reply. Daji appeared beside him, and with a graceful wave of her hand, the enchanting melodies of the Heavenly Demon's charm filled the air, instantly subduing the two demon soldiers. Zu'an dealt with the two demons, took their armor and clothing, and then continued towards the main camp. As he proceeded, he quickly transformed into a demon soldier himself. Ordinarily, a military stronghold of this magnitude, with its various defensive formations and layers of sentry posts, would be nearly impossible for an outsider to infiltrate undetected, regardless of their cultivation level. However, Zu'an possessed the Art of Myriad Transformations, enabling him to flawlessly assume the form of a demon and simultaneously conceal his own aura. As a result, he moved deeper into the camp, constantly shifting his identity, and remained completely undetected.

Meanwhile, deep within the main camp, inside a magnificent tent, the Demon Lord sat regally upon a tall throne crafted from bones. A three-headed monstrous bird crouched at his feet as he observed a plump subordinate standing before him.

"My Lord, this is absolutely true. King Morga was indeed completely annihilated by the Sea Race. From now on, no one will hinder you. Next, we shall march east, utterly crush the demon race, and seize that troublesome Saintess to be your handmaiden!" If Zu'an had been present, he would surely have recognized this speaker as Manager Pi, the plump male companion he had encountered in the underground city.

"Morga truly disappoints me," the Demon Lord growled, grinding his teeth. "To lead an elite army only to be utterly annihilated by an unknown individual... To have been considered his equal is a disgrace to me!"

"My Lord," another demon nearby said, "how could Morga ever be considered your equal? The only reason he was able to hinder you all these years was out of consideration for *that* person." If Zu'an had been present, he would surely have recognized this demon as the former War Priest. This War Priest held immense prestige among the demons, being indispensable in nearly every major campaign. His eventual demise in the cultivation world, thousands of years later, would send such shockwaves through the demon realm that it would force the Demon Lord to create demon replicas from a blood pool to invade the cultivation world.

The Demon Lord raised a hand to halt him. "The grand scheme is not yet settled," he warned. "Caution remains paramount."

"Hmph," he scoffed. "With Morga's hindrance gone, I can finally launch a full-scale offensive. Once I conquer the demon race and capture the Saintess, my prestige should be sufficient to accomplish *that* matter."

Just then, a voice from outside interjected, "That is incorrect. Now is precisely the best time to accomplish *that* matter."

"Who's there!" The few demons in the tent instantly blanched. They knew their recent conversation had contained many treasonous remarks, and if an outsider were to overhear, the consequences would be dire.

The Demon Lord, without hesitation, swept his hand, unleashing a powerful surge of energy directly towards the source of the voice. Where the energy blast passed, a section of the tent wall was instantly obliterated.