Chapter 552: Eloping

It was already late when they officially arrived in the demon realm. The bright moonlight illuminated the scene before them, revealing a forest, a common sight in the demon realm. Unlike the Central Continent, which was largely developed, the demon realm had a relatively backward system. Its development relied on villages as strongholds, with insufficient efforts, leaving many pristine jungles. Furthermore, the mixed-blood demon tribes living on the demon realm's borders were small and lacked the capability to develop the jungles.

"Where's Third Senior Sister?"

"According to Senior Sister's map, we depart from Demon Suppressing Pass, arrive in the demon realm, travel two thousand *li* north, and Third Senior Sister will be waiting for us at the border between the Qiongqi and Howling Celestial Wolf tribes." Lu Yang pulled out the map. It was crudely drawn by Senior Sister, showing only the demon realm's border, the Qiongqi tribe, and the Howling Celestial Wolf tribe, with no indication of any tribes they would pass through.

"It's not far; about a three-day journey."

"Then let's go."

With their direction set, the two prepared to depart. Although it was late, their cultivation was flawless, and their eyes were also highly trained, allowing them to see clearly with even the slightest light. Walking under the moonlight was no different from walking during the day.

Just as they were about to step forward, they sensed a rustling sound from deep within the jungle, accompanied by faint shouts.

"Stop!"

"Don't let them escape!"

"Miss, don't run anymore!"

A man and a woman emerged from the depths of the dense forest. They paused slightly upon seeing Lu Yang and the other man. They were eloping under the cover of night, hoping to reach Great Xia's territory. Unfortunately, their plan was flawed, leading to a mishap; their tribe detected their escape and pursued them all the way. Just when they thought they were about to succeed, they realized their tribe had anticipated their escape route and set up an ambush here.

"Break through!"

The man gritted his teeth. If they could just get past these two people and into the mist, they would be free! He drew a broad saber from his storage ring. Gripping the saber with both hands, his muscles bulged. A mist of water condensed on the blade, like autumn frost, exuding a chilling aura! In the past, he would never have dared to strike at a powerful cultivator like Lu Yang. But now, with his beloved beside him, pursuers behind, and freedom ahead, he had to fight!

The woman was also strong. She wielded two swords, their tips swaying with graceful, dragon-like and phoenix-like movements!

"Those who block me shall die!"

The man and woman leaped high, reaching Lu Yang's knees, only to be kicked away by him.

Lu Yang crouched down, looking at the two inch-tall figures, feeling quite helpless.

"What are you two doing?"

Before the man and woman could reply, their pursuers arrived. All were one inch tall. Most were humanoid, but a few were not, retaining their original forms—Insectoids.

Meng Jingzhou's eye twitched. Just as he and Lu Yang were about to leave, a pair of tiny insects had darted out of the jungle, yelling "Those who block me shall die!" and charging at them with toothpick-sized weapons.

"Not to mention you two have practically no cultivation; even if you did, where would you get the nerve to fight us?"

Insectoids were also part of the demon race. If the Dragon and Phoenix tribes stood at the top of the demon race, then the Insectoids were at the very bottom. Even the non-aggressive Rabbit and Rat tribes held higher status than Insectoids. Because Insectoids were inherently weak, they could only band together for mutual protection. Whether they were Ant, Mantis, Dung Beetle, or Mosquito tribes, they would all live together and were collectively referred to as Insectoids. Even if Insectoids achieved human form, if their cultivation was insufficient, they could only transform into one-inch-tall figures. Only when their cultivation reached the Foundation Establishment stage could their bodies resemble human children, and only at the Golden Core stage could they take on the appearance of adult humans.

The man coughed blood, looking at Lu Yang in despair. He was agile, capable of confronting even a Level Two Qi Refining cultivator. Yet Lu Yang had grievously injured him with a single blow. Lu Yang must be a powerful cultivator at Level Four Qi Refining or higher!

This was not Lu Yang's first encounter with Insectoids. The Silver Ring Heavenly King Worm couple in the medicinal garden were Insectoids, and at least at the Soul Transformation stage. But this was his first time seeing such tiny Insectoids. Before, he had only heard about them as jokes. To see an Insectoid dare to draw a saber at him today... was even funnier.

The pursuing party, seeing Lu Yang's skills, felt a sense of respect and no longer dared to shout. One person stepped forward. He strained his neck to look up at Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, then knelt on the ground and asked tremblingly, "I am Li Shiqiang of the Insectoid tribe. We were unaware of your esteemed presence here and have offended you. Please forgive us, sirs." He was the tribe's top master, but facing the unfathomable Lu Yang and the other, he dared not be rude and tried his best to be polite.

"No offense taken. We are from the Demon Suppressing Sect. I am Meng Yang, and he is Lu Jingzhou."

Since they had introduced themselves, it would be rude not to introduce themselves in return. This was the story they had discussed and decided on during their journey. Claiming to be rogue cultivators wouldn't work, as demon tribes valued bloodlines and human origins. Claiming to be rogue cultivators could lead to contempt from demons, or even sinister intentions. Given this, they needed an identity with a reputable background. The imperial court was difficult to impersonate, as it could lead to legal trouble upon returning. The Dao-Seeking Sect identity couldn't be used. The Hanging Temple had too few people, making it hard to impersonate. The Moon Laurel Immortal Palace was exclusively for female cultivators, so it couldn't be impersonated. That left the Five Elements Sect and the Demon Suppressing Sect to choose from. Lu Yang chose the Demon Suppressing Sect.

Li Shiqiang looked overwhelmed. It was his first time encountering such a polite powerful cultivator, as there weren't many reasonable demons in the demon realm.

"Commander Li, please let me and Xiao Mi go."

The small man, eloping, pleaded desperately, but Commander Li remained unmoved. In truth, their escape plan was doomed from the start. Great Xia had a strict rule against allowing Insectoids into its territory. If they were allowed in and began to multiply, it would be a huge problem. A swarm of Level One Qi Refining mosquitoes would be unbearable for ordinary people. The Silver Ring Heavenly King Worm couple was an exception; they were both at the Soul Transformation stage, making reproduction quite difficult.

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou grew interested. They both squatted down, observing the tiny figures in the moonlight. "Don't rush to take them away," Lu Yang said. "Tell us what's going on."

Commander Li dared not defy their wishes and recounted the entire incident in detail. Insectoid society was also divided into tribes. Their tribe was the weakest, with not even a single mid-Qi Refining stage Insectoid. The son of the chief from another, more powerful Insectoid tribe had taken a liking to Song Xiaomi and was using his influence to pressure them into marriage. Song Xiaomi's tribe had no choice but to send her over. However, Xiaomi had a childhood sweetheart named Chishui. Chishui was the tribe's genius, but against the other tribe, he was merely a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Song Xiaomi and Chishui both disagreed with the marriage, which led to their nighttime escape and their encounter with Lu Yang and the other man.

"Interesting," Lu Yang said. "Come on, take me to your Insectoid tribe. I want to see it." Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou had never seen an Insectoid tribe before. It was a rare trip to the demon realm, and it would be a wasted journey if they didn't see its unique characteristics.