Chapter 552: Heavenly Demon Never Becomes a Slave

"Climb a mountain?"

"What a strange request!"

Du Shuren's immediate reaction was to refuse. However, when a treasured sword, imbued with the power of lightning, pressed against his back, he found himself unable to dodge...

"This person is a master."

Du Shuren's demon heart constricted. His Heavenly Demon true form completely retreated into the primordial spirit of this Dao body, making the primordial spirit appear entirely normal, as he fully concealed his unique characteristics.

"What does fellow Daoist mean by this?"

"Please," Li Changshou gestured, his treasured sword shimmering with lightning, yet showing no intention of being sheathed.

Du Shuren frowned deeply: "Is there something between fellow Daoist and I..."

*Sizzle—* The tip of the long sword effortlessly pierced Du Shuren's clothing on his back, creating a small hole in his Dao body from which a thin stream of blood spurted out.

Du Shuren's eyes widened. He turned his head, about to glare furiously at Li Changshou, but then he felt the cold killing intent emanating from behind the young Daoist's smile.

"He was exposed? How could this be?"

He was unlike ordinary Heavenly Demons, having been directly created by his Mother. By the standards of living beings in the Primordial World, he was practically a noble among Heavenly Demons.

This Dao body, furthermore, had been cultivated by 'Mother' for many years, with a crack in its Dao heart planted since childhood. His infiltration of its Dao heart had been utterly smooth and unimpeded. How could he possibly be exposed?

"Please proceed," Li Changshou urged again, his treasured sword swaying slightly.

Du Shuren turned to glare at Li Changshou, a hint of coldness in his eyes, but then he flicked his sleeve.

"How vulgar! If you invite this humble Daoist to climb a mountain, you should at least specify a location."

"To the east," Li Changshou said calmly, his sword still pressed against Du Shuren's back, though he was muttering to himself inwardly.

"Is this guy possessed by an Outer Heavenly Demon? He's slightly different from the Outer Heavenly Demons I encountered in the minor world near the border of Xuandu City. There's a persistent sense of incongruity, like 'this Heavenly Demon doesn't seem very cold.'"

"Speaking of which, why did the Heavenly Dao manipulate the Black Panther to bring him here? It's unlikely to be just for him to specifically come and exterminate a Heavenly Demon; that's something a single heavenly lightning bolt could accomplish. Why go to such lengths and activate a tribulation artifact-human like the Black Panther..."

At this moment, Li Changshou also sensed this individual's unusualness.

He seemed to have many thoughts, a very active mind, and there was a flicker of lively light in his eyes.

An Outer Heavenly Demon, traveling tens of thousands of miles from the Chaos Sea to the Five Continents, what kind of plot, what kind of scheme, does he intend to carry out?

"This 'little' Heavenly Dao..." 'Little' Heavenly Dao was not a derogatory term.

This time, the activation of the Black Panther, which led the Black Panther to make him 'accidentally' encounter this Outer Heavenly Demon, was the will of the Heavenly Dao itself. It was unrelated to the Dao Ancestor and stemmed from the same will that previously made him dream of 'the Red Lotus about to emerge, and Old Ancestor Styx about to revive.'

Compared to the Dao Ancestor, who could interfere with the Heavenly Dao at will yet remained unaffected by it, wasn't this indeed the 'little' Heavenly Dao?

Why didn't the Heavenly Dao directly transmit a dream to him this time? It was probably afraid he would intentionally feign ignorance.

Li Changshou pondered this inwardly, his expression outwardly calm. Without warning, he lightly pushed his treasured sword forward, naturally poking a second time.

*Sizzle—* A second thin stream of blood spurted out, complementing the first.

Du Shuren's eyes widened. He turned to look at Li Changshou, "Fellow Daoist, what, what now?"

As expected, he didn't erupt in indignant curses and then fight to the death with someone clearly ill-intentioned. Instead, he chose the path of prudence. This Outer Heavenly Demon was quite cowardly.

"My hand trembled a bit," Li Changshou maintained a faint smile. "Fellow Daoist, there's no need to worry. As long as you cooperate, perhaps this humble Daoist will show mercy and spare your life. Alas, after centuries of seclusion, I haven't eaten humans, and my taste has indeed grown bland."

As he spoke, Li Changshou simulated a trace of demonic energy, dissolving a small amount of demon blood that this paper-effigy Daoist carried.

Du Shuren's expression changed, and he secretly thought, 'This is bad.' He had been targeted as prey!

"Isn't this the Five Continents? The very core of the Primordial World! Haven't the Demon Race suffered great losses? Why am I so unlucky as to encounter such a Demon Race expert!"

Du Shuren hurriedly searched for a countermeasure and quickly calmed down. "Why don't I... wait for him to devour me?"

That way, he could imperceptibly attack his Dao heart, turn him to his own use, and then go to the East Victory Divine Continent to carry out 'Mother's' instructions.

Although using a Demon Race body to travel through the Primordial World at this time would bring many inconveniences, it was still better than being cowardly eliminated. That would be far too unrefined...

*Poke! Sizzle—*

"Fellow Daoist, what are you doing!"

"These blood spatters are quite pretty," Li Changshou said with a chuckle. "Where is fellow Daoist from?"

The Outer Heavenly Demon replied, "Why does fellow Daoist ask this?"

"This humble Daoist is particular about the origin of food," Li Changshou said earnestly. "Creatures near the edges of the world have less spiritual energy and a poor taste, so one must avoid those."

"This humble Daoist is from a peripheral world," Du Shuren quickly said. "I lost my parents in childhood, followed my master to cultivate, and endured countless hardships to finally achieve my current cultivation. I implore fellow Daoist to show mercy; I am willing to offer all my treasures."

"Easily said, easily said."

As he spoke, Li Changshou led the Outer Heavenly Demon to a desolate island, where they slowly ascended from the island's edge. He occasionally poked the demon, probing the limits of its tolerance. Incidentally, he also tried to devise a way to extract information from it before forcing out its true form.

"What is fellow Daoist's Daoist name?"

"This humble Daoist has no Daoist name; my name is Du Shuren."

"Oh?" Li Changshou casually remarked, "Among the human race in this world, the Du surname isn't very common."

"The surname is indeed somewhat rare, as this humble Daoist comes from the peripheral worlds, so a rare surname is normal," Du Shuren's mouth twitched uncontrollably. "This Dao body of mine is full of impurities, not pure at all..."

"No matter," Li Changshou chuckled. "This humble Daoist is not particular about Daoist names."

Du Shuren's legs trembled. He turned his head to look at the person behind him, just in time to see the other calmly poke him with another sword thrust, immortal blood sizzling as it sprayed outwards.

"This, what kind of ruthless person is this? How could he make even a Heavenly Demon feel powerless to cope?"

"What brings fellow Daoist to the Five Continents of the Primordial World this time?"

"This humble Daoist is going to the East Victory Divine Continent to visit an old friend; in fact, I am seeking refuge there..."

"Oh?" Li Changshou raised an eyebrow, continuing to chat casually with Du Shuren, extracting information from him.

This fellow was quite shrewd; he merely acted somewhat cowardly at the moment, but he consistently stuck to the same 'story script' with few flaws.

Li Changshou decided to employ a minor trick.

As the two conversed pleasantly, Li Changshou suddenly turned his head. Standing halfway up the desolate mountain, he looked at the vast, boundless East Sea and chuckled:

"Fellow Daoist, look how magnificent this world is."

Du Shuren shivered slightly and immediately nodded: "It is indeed quite magnificent."

"Why doesn't fellow Daoist compose a poem? If it can bring joy to this humble Daoist's heart, then today..."

"Compose, compose a poem?" Du Shuren immediately pondered for a few moments, his mind constantly racing. A light gradually appeared in his eyes, and he opened his mouth, channeling his energy, about to recite a poem.

Li Changshou said: "Fellow Daoist seems to be somewhat different from ordinary Outer Heavenly Demons."

"Naturally! This humble Daoist was directly split from Mother, whereas ordinary Heavenly Demons split themselves, and their connection to Mother is already negligible..." Du Shuren paused mid-sentence. The one who had been boastfully speaking suddenly turned, glaring at Li Changshou beside him.

Li Changshou, however, merely smiled faintly, a divine light flashing in his eyes.

Du Shuren suddenly felt that this Dao body and primordial spirit were beyond his control; they seemed to have lost all their magical power and strength.

Just as he was about to react, his vision blurred, and he found himself plunged into a dark corner, where cold intentions, like blades, pressed against his 'true form.'

"You!" Du Shuren's eyes widened, and his Dao body suddenly collapsed. A wisp of black mist emerged from his facial pores, just about to pounce towards Li Changshou, but it was instantly enveloped by streaks of azure lightning.

The lightning surrounded but did not destroy it, and the black mist immediately trembled, condensing into a two-foot-tall humanoid black shadow that roared furiously at Li Changshou.

Li Changshou, feigning delight, praised, "Indeed, a high-grade Heavenly Demon."

Several streaks of light emerged from the ground, transforming into a table, chairs, a chopping board, a kitchen knife, and various seasonings. Li Changshou made a backhand grab, his palm containing the divine power of the Heavenly Dao. He reached into the lightning, directly pulling out the black mist, stabilizing its form, and then sealing it onto the chopping board as he sharpened his knife.

The Heavenly Demon cursed loudly, "You, what are you doing!"

"Superior ingredients often only require simple cooking," Li Changshou sighed lightly with closed eyes. "Such a pure Outer Heavenly Demon is truly rare, a dish of unparalleled quality."

'Du Shuren' trembled all over, almost bursting into tears, shrinking into a ball on the chopping board.

Soon, Li Changshou, wrapping the kitchen knife in the power of the Heavenly Dao, without a word, first cut a small piece of the Heavenly Demon's black mist. He meticulously placed it on a plate, sprinkled some barbecue seasoning, and elegantly began to stir.

"Would you like to discuss matters concerning your Mother with this humble Daoist? That way, I might cut you fewer times and even consider keeping you in captivity."

"You, you wish!"

Li Changshou's eyes immediately narrowed into a smile. He didn't touch the black mist on the plate but continued to grip the kitchen knife.

That day, the Heavenly Demon's screams echoed within the Dao hearts of living beings for ten thousand li around, making many believe they were experiencing auditory hallucinations.

And so, half a day later.

Heart demons, simulations, quasi-spirit bodies... Heavenly Demons specifically cultivated to imitate Primordial Qi Refiners, the Heavenly Demons' asexual 'Mother,' the mysterious Heavenly Demon Holy Land, the colossal black shadow worshipped by Heavenly Demons...

A rigorous task arrangement, dividing the entire mission information into phases. Every so often, or upon the fulfillment of certain conditions, the message for the next phase of the mission would be 'triggered'...

Li Changshou frowned deeply, standing with his hands behind his back on a cloud. For a moment, he fell into confusion.

Could the words he used to scare Sir Bai, when he returned from the Chaos Sea last time, actually be true? Did he really, by sheer blind luck, stumble upon the complete scheme of the Demon Master Kunpeng?!

He glanced at the middle-aged Daoist at his feet, who was bound by a long rope fashioned from lightning.

As if sensing Li Changshou's gaze, the slumbering middle-aged Daoist trembled a few times, mumbling incoherently:

"I, Du Shuren, would rather die than surrender; I will not tell you anything..."

Such a cowardly Outer Heavenly Demon was truly hard to come by.

Li Changshou pondered ceaselessly. This cloud had also reached the vicinity of the East Victory Divine Continent, and he was still hesitating whether to acquire the Heavenly Demons' subsequent plan.

This might be a significant matter. The Heavenly Dao guiding him to capture this heart demon must have intended for him to extract some useful information from it.

"Find an evil cultivator with heavy karma and try it out."

Li Changshou finalized his plan. His immortal consciousness spread out, searching for a while in the southeastern part of the East Victory Divine Continent. Soon, he found an old Daoist, entangled with karma, who was cultivating in seclusion in the mountains.

According to the 'details' Du Shuren had revealed, the plan seemed to be to invade the Dao heart of a 'sect master.'

Leveraging the power of the Taiji Diagram and his escape arts, Li Changshou quietly approached this old Daoist of the Heavenly Immortal realm. He scattered a handful of sleeping powder, and the old Daoist, who had been meditating, slowly lowered his head, and snores filled the air.

Li Changshou threw Du Shuren onto the ground, then tapped the old Daoist's glabella. He extracted the Heavenly Demon, which was wrapped in lightning arcs, and placed it beside the old Daoist.

Electric light flickered, and the Heavenly Demon immediately shivered a few times.

"Go in, and don't harm anyone," Li Changshou said coldly. The Heavenly Demon, forming a faint face on its black mist body, glared furiously at Li Changshou.

Humiliation! Disgrace! This was simply the greatest insult to a Heavenly Demon!

Li Changshou frowned, and electric arcs flickered at his fingertips, illuminating the old Daoist's cave dwelling with dazzling brightness!

"Hmph! A primordial spirit delivered to my doorstep—it'd be a waste not to taint it!" The Heavenly Demon snorted coldly and burrowed into the old Daoist's glabella. However, in mere moments, Li Changshou pulled it out again. The old Daoist's primordial spirit... was completely unharmed.

"Did you get the next step of the plan?"

Heavenly Demon: "..."

"Hmph!" Li Changshou nodded understandingly, then shoved the Heavenly Demon back into the middle-aged Daoist's body. He quietly departed, as if he had never been there.

And when Li Changshou extracted the Heavenly Demon's next mission steps, he felt quite uneasy.

"Befriend a Heavenly Immortal disciple of the Jie Sect's Immortal Sect, the Immortal Ascension Gate, and secretly control this person."

Li Changshou: "..."

"What is this about? Are Outer Heavenly Demons gradually planting their agents around me? Using Qi Refiners one by one as stepping stones?"

If that were truly the case, Li Changshou might indeed be caught off guard, especially now that he had moved to the Grand White Palace and couldn't constantly monitor every immortal from the Immortal Ascension Gate.

What was the purpose of this Outer Heavenly Demon? It was clear that behind this... something was going on, absolutely something!

It was known that the Primordial Heavenly Dao's barrier separated it from the Chaos Sea. The recent experiment on the old Daoist had already proven that this Outer Heavenly Demon was not being remotely controlled by its 'Mother.' The other party should not be able to do such a thing.

The Heavenly Demon receiving subsequent mission information and its trigger conditions would definitely not be as complex as the Heavenly Demon had claimed.

As expected, Li Changshou found several more great demons burdened with karma, allowing the Heavenly Demon to continuously infiltrate them. Two subsequent mission messages appeared consecutively, confirming that the Heavenly Demon's plan had only two final steps remaining.

These great demons, burdened with karma, were naturally incinerated into ashes by Li Changshou's true fire.

But what Li Changshou had never expected was that he would receive such two pieces of information...

The Heavenly Demon's second-to-last step in its plan: After infiltrating the Immortal Ascension Gate, wait for an opportunity to invade the primordial spirit of any elder of the Immortal Ascension Gate.

By this point, Li Changshou was certain that the other party was targeting him! Could the Heavenly Dao have accidentally helped him this time?

And when the Heavenly Demon, with a cold snort, revealed the final 'mission information,' Li Changshou felt a chill spread through his body, his Dao heart trembled slightly, and a sharp divine light flashed in his eyes.

Kunpeng?! Could the one worshipped by the Heavenly Demons truly be Kunpeng?

Since the other party had already departed from the Primordial World and paid such a heavy price to fake its death and escape, why would it actively return and self-detonate in front of him?

Li Changshou frowned as he looked at Du Shuren before him. A wisp of lightning flashed in his palm, and both the Heavenly Demon and this Dao body were simultaneously shattered. The Samadhi True Fire spread out, reducing everything to dust.

This matter probably couldn't be hidden from the Heavenly Dao. Could Kunpeng also be deliberately retaliating, intentionally trying to frame him?

Standing on a desolate coastal mountain, Li Changshou stood with his hands behind his back. Wisps of fire ignited around this paper-effigy Daoist, instantly reducing it to ashes.

Not only that, but the two paper-effigy Daoists cooperating underground, and the paper-effigy Daoist who had been monitoring and following the Black Panther, simultaneously turned into ashes, incinerated by Li Changshou.

Why was this?

For no other reason than that the Heavenly Demon 'Du Shuren's' final mission was to find a way to meet the Grand White Golden Star, who hailed from the Immortal Ascension Gate, and ask him one question... "Would you like to see what happens next?"