âThe explanation from LĂź Cangshan, the second-in-command of Niepan Province, was far too flimsy.â
âNo one believed it at all.â
âAs a result, some of the demon clans became even more reckless. They started forcibly abducting Niepanâs close associates, trying to coerce them into revealing Li Yaoâs whereabouts.â
âBut the truth was, they really didnât know.â
âDidnât know? Then kill them!â
âGradually, the local demons of Niepan Province grew fewer, while outsiders increased.â
âThis place was truly falling into chaos!â
âAnd this gave Ye Yu an excellent opportunity to develop.â
âUnder Pei Chuxiaâs guidance.â
âYe Yu rampaged through Niepan Province, killing many demons hailed as geniuses.â
âAt the same time, they never forgot to gather intelligence about Demon Lord Li Yao.â
âBecause Pei Chuxia was very clear.â
âWhen Demon Lord Li Yao reappeared in the Demon Realm, it would mark the moment Niepan Province launched a full-scale counterattack.â
âIn that case, they would have to return immediately and prepare for a real, hard-fought battle.â
âIn other words, Ye Yu was racing against time.â
âNo one could be sure whether tomorrow, when the Blood Moon rose, Li Yao would appear before everyone in his strongest form.â
âAnd so, five years quickly passed.â
âEven Pei Chuxia never expected things to remain so stable for so long.â
âDuring this time, many demons died daily in Niepan Province, and this land was thoroughly devastated. Yet Demon Lord Li Yao never once showed his face.â
âThis caused many to start doubting whether Li Yao had already perished.â
âAt first, perhaps many didnât believe it.â
âBut as time went on, more and more accepted this as fact.â
âAfter all, even if cultivating unparalleled demonic arts, wouldnât he appear at least once in several years?â
âAs more demons began believing Li Yao was dead.â
âSome Demon Lords started to grow restless.â
âAmong them, Luo Fengtai, Demon Lord of Wuyan Province, was the most aggressive.â
âIt was heard that he had already seized three small cities north of Niepan Province.â
âAnd was advancing toward the central region like a whale swallowing its prey.â
âThis move immediately triggered a chain reaction.â
âOther Demon Lords also mobilized their forces to snatch territories in Niepan Province.â
âNowadays, Ye Yu and Pei Chuxia often witnessed fierce battles between different Demon Lordsâ subordinates.â
âIt was truly overwhelming.â
âThough they had always considered Demon Lord Li Yao the hypothetical future enemy.â
âNow, with that enemy suddenly gone.â
âWhat should they do?â
âTo be precise, Pei Chuxia was caught in confusion.â
âThat night, she sat alone outside again, staring blankly at the Blood Moon.â
âSeeing this, Ye Yu quietly came to sit beside her, without speakingâjust accompanying her silently.â
âAfter a long while.â
âPei Chuxia softly said, âFor years, hatred has troubled me deeply. Now, with Demon Lord Li Yao gone so long, he might truly be dead.ââ
ââI suddenly feel at a loss.ââ
ââThen, what was all my effort for?ââ
âYe Yu held her hand firmly and said earnestly, âYour efforts over these years were for me.ââ
ââWithout you, I couldnât have risen to the peak of the Profound Demon Realm so {Nâ˘oâ˘vâ˘eâ˘lâ˘iâ˘gâ˘hâ˘t} quickly.ââ
âThat was right. Over these five years.â
âThrough constant trials, Ye Yu had successfully advanced from the Earth Demon Realm to the peak of the Profound Demon Realm.â
âSuch terrifying speedâno one across the Demon Realm could compare.â
âIt was nothing short of a miracle!â
âFeeling the warmth from his palm, Pei Chuxiaâs heart felt comforted.â
âAlthough what she said wasnât exactly that, it didnât matter.â
âThe enemy was gone, but her beloved remained. Life had to go on!â
âPei Chuxia rested her head on Ye Yuâs shoulder.â
âSoftly, she said, âMaybe Iâm just not used to suddenly having idle time. How about I help you take Niepan Province? Letâs plan it carefully.ââ
âThough Ye Yu had no desire to become a Demon Lord himself, to give Pei Chuxia something to do.â
âHe agreed without hesitation.â
âBut before that, they had to return to Juque Province.â
âFive years without visitingâit was time to go back and see.â
âAs he stood up, a complex expression flashed across Ye Yuâs eyes.â
âAlthough his realm had undergone a transformation akin to rebirth.â
âThe changes in his attributes were, honestly, few.â
âCurrently, he still possessed two gold, three purple, and two green attributesâseven in total.â
âProdigy of Heaven (Gold): Possessing top-tier cultivation talent, with unique understanding of all techniques. Progresses twice as fast after entering cultivation.â
âKing of a Hundred Battles (Gold): Gains rapid cultivation advancement through continuous fighting. Truly becomes stronger the more he fights. His life was destined for battle.â
âMaster of Talismans (Purple): A genuine pioneer in talismans. His understanding had reached a terrifying level, able to establish his own sect and be remembered for eternity!â
âAncient Demon Path (Purple): An ultimate physique able to tear apart demonic artifacts with bare hands and withstand all attacks below mid-grade demonic immortal weapons. Anyone near him would know what true terror meant. Ancient demonâs bodyâfists break all laws!â
âNemesis of Friends (Purple): A walking jinx in the realm of friendship, and a potent one at that. Anyone who becomes your friend faces danger of sudden bloody disasters within minutes. The unlucky ones risk dying anytime.â
âLuck Companion (Green): Favored by the heavens. Wherever you go, small surprises keep appearing. The word âbad luckâ is completely unrelated to you!â
âDual Focus (Green): Possessing exceptional talent to perform two entirely different tasks simultaneouslyâtrue high efficiency. However, it consumes enormous energy and canât last long.â
âOver these five years, only two attributes changed.â
âMaster of Talismans and Ancient Demon Path.â
âYet this annoyed Ye Yu greatly.â
âBoth were already so deeply purple they almost turned black, but still had not evolved further to gold.â
âWhat was going on?â
âWhen he first obtained Prodigy of Heaven, it had never been this difficult!â
âWas it because these two attributes were special?â
âThat didnât make sense either. Ancient Demon Path being special was understandable since body training methods were extremely rare.â
âBut Master of Talismans shouldnât be like this.â
âTo hasten its upgrade to gold, Ye Yu had relentlessly challenged real talisman prodigies.â
âHe nearly wiped them out, yet still didnât get the upgrade.â
âThat was truly frustrating.â
âHowever, some things just couldnât be rushed.â
âThe next day, Ye Yu and Pei Chuxia set off to return to Juque Province.â
âUnexpectedly,â
âAt the border of Niepan Province, they spotted LĂź Cangshan, the second-in-command of Niepan.â
âThis man was the strategist close to Demon Lord Li Yao.â
âWhen Pei Chuxiaâs parents were killed, he had contributed greatly.â
âBut now, why wasnât LĂź Cangshan dealing with the invading Demon Lords attacking Niepan Province?â
âWhy was he in this remote area instead?â
âYe Yu and Pei Chuxia exchanged a glance, both reading the confusion in each otherâs eyes.â
âSo they quietly concealed themselves and followed.â