After hearing from Ai Yueli about the Nine Heavens Immortal Maiden's glorious record, Ye Ling had started gathering information on all the enemies she had fought back then.
Otherwise, what if he ran into someone in the future and didn't even know why they were fighting? That would be beyond awkward.
So he naturally recognized the Heavenly Demon Lure of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
The Heavenly Demon Sect was no obscure minor faction. Its reputation was well known.
In recent years, it had risen back into public view. Unlike the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons, which still carried its old name but was little more than remnants from a bygone era, the Heavenly Demon Sect was very much alive.
"Everyone, be careful. If you have any means to notify the Righteous Path Alliance, use them now. The demonic cultivators from the Heavenly Demon Sect are here."
After confirming the enemy, Ye Ling called out to those around him.
Fortunately, the cultivators of Tianqiong City had already been protected by Ye Ling's Calming Mind Talismans earlier and had not been tainted by the Heavenly Demon Lure.
He tossed out several more Calming Mind Talismans to shield the battle cultivators.
As for Li San?
He could fend for himself.
After all, he was a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator. A trick like the Heavenly Demon Lure wouldn't kill him. At most, he would lose a few decades of cultivation.
"The Heavenly Demon Sect?"
Elder Wang opened his eyes. He was well-traveled and had crossed paths with the Heavenly Demon Sect before.
After a moment's thought, he said, "Given the Heavenly Demon Sect's status, they shouldn't be attacking a place like this. Has something changed?"
The Heavenly Demon Sect was a major demonic sect. Even if their disciples were chasing performance quotas, there was no reason to come to a backwater like Tianqiong City.
"Probably because Huang Ren is here."
Ye Ling knew exactly why, but there was no way he would admit it.
Huang, you bootlicker, just take the blame for now.
"Huang Ren!?"
Elder Wang's eyes widened. He lowered his voice and asked carefully, "You mean the grandson of Director Huang Shiren?"
"Yes."
Ye Ling nodded without hesitation, then pointed at Leng Qingqiu, who was still going "mmmph mmmph" under the Silencing Talisman.
"It's because of her. Those who understand, understand. If you don't, I can't explain it anyway."
"I see."
Elder Wang glanced at Leng Qingqiu and immediately nodded, giving Ye Ling a knowing look that required no further explanation.
"In any case, you all rest here. I'll go check the situation."
Ye Ling didn't want to just wait around. The time limit for the Nine Heavens Immortal Maiden's avatar had already expired, so strictly speaking, he shouldn't be running around recklessly.
But his ability to return to the Heavenly Gate Sect at any time was still active. He could leave whenever he wanted, so there was no real danger.
Staying here, on the other hand, with so many injured cultivators and ordinary people around, only tied his hands.
He didn't like to admit it, but a large part of why he had dragged Li San into the sky was because he was afraid of misjudging his strength and hurting innocent people.
At the Nascent Soul Stage level, shattering mountains and splitting rocks was nothing unusual. And every strike he had delivered had concentrated power into a single point. If he had truly gone all out, Li San would have been blown apart in the most literal sense.
Before leaving, Ye Ling also slapped a Sealing Talisman onto Li San. If that guy woke up and caused trouble from behind, it would be annoying.
After clearing away all potential problems, he headed toward the battlefield outside the city.
The Examiner's Judgement Brush rested inside his sleeve, ready to be drawn at any moment.
...
Qin Rushui.
A name so refined it almost sounded delicate.
Yet that was the name of the current leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Of course, his identity as sect leader was unknown to the Righteous Path Alliance.
Within the Alliance, he was known for his clean conduct and was nicknamed Pure as Water.
More importantly, he was friendly and kept to himself. It could be said that within the Righteous Path Alliance, he had friends everywhere.
But today, he could no longer stay hidden.
One cultivator who had just completed a tribulation, ten Tribulation Stage cultivators, three Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, thirty Golden Core Stage cultivators, along with numerous Foundation Establishment and Qi Cultivation cultivators.
All of them had fallen in a small city called Tianqiong City.
Under normal circumstances, he would not have spared such a place a second glance.
Yet in this insignificant gutter, the Heavenly Demon Sect had capsized.
The sect still had reserves, but this mission had severely wounded it. It could even be said that the Heavenly Demon Sect had dropped straight into the ranks of second-tier demonic sects.
He could not let this go.
If he failed to slaughter Tianqiong City, then even if the Heavenly Demon Sect still existed, it would be as good as dead.
So he chose to gamble everything. This time, he would mobilize the entire Heavenly Demon Sect to devour Tianqiong City.
He refused to believe it.
A mere small city. Could it really be impossible to take down?
Even if deploying the entire Heavenly Demon Sect turned them into a laughingstock among other demonic cultivators, it was still better than walking away empty-handed.
Besides, Qin Rushui did not believe that after swallowing so many experts from the Heavenly Demon Sect, the Righteous Path Alliance could still be in peak condition.
To be safe, he even activated his connections within the Righteous Path Alliance, allowing members of the Heavenly Demon Sect to slip into the reinforcement teams.
With that arrangement, he refused to believe he still couldn't bring down the Alliance's experts.
The only pity was that Gui Ying had beaten everyone at the scene into unconsciousness, leaving him without a detailed report of the battle.
He had no idea that the one who truly defeated Gui Ying was the avatar of the woman he feared most, the one who haunted his nightmares day and night.
A thousand years ago, when Qin Rushui had just joined the Heavenly Demon Sect, he was filled with boundless hope for his sect.
But as a mere entry-level disciple, even stepping through the main gates of the Heavenly Demon Sect was a distant dream.
He lived in the old forest at the foot of the mountain, spending his days in dull, repetitive labor, washing clothes and cooking for the disciples who lived higher up the mountain.
To make matters worse, his somewhat delicate-sounding name made him the target of ridicule among his peers. Even disciples who joined later looked down on him.
What he never expected was that this very isolation would save his life.
He would never forget that day. It was the founding anniversary of the Heavenly Demon Sect. All disciples were required to return to the sect to attend the ceremony, even entry-level disciples.
But because he had been excluded by the others, no one informed him. He mistakenly thought the anniversary was the following day.
So he went on with his usual tedious work. Just as he was wondering why no one was around, an overwhelming pressure descended upon him.
When he looked up, he saw a single finger formed entirely of spiritual energy, as thick as a mountain peak. It came down from the sky like it was crushing an ant, pressing the once-lofty Heavenly Demon Mountain straight into the ground and turning it into the Heavenly Demon Abyss.
Fortunately, his assigned duty that week was fetching water at the foot of the mountain. Otherwise, he would have been buried beneath that abyss as well.
From a distance, he saw a woman floating in the sky. He could not make out her features.
But the fear she left in his heart never faded. Even now, after reaching the Great Ascension Stage, he still dared not touch women. That terror had become his inner demon.
Later, by exploring the ruins of the Heavenly Demon Sect and relying on his own cultivation talent, he gradually rose to his current position and rebuilt the Heavenly Demon Sect.
In order to find out who the woman was who had destroyed the sect, he risked infiltrating the Righteous Path Alliance. He worked diligently for them year after year, waiting until he became the head of the archives before finally uncovering the truth.
After the Nine Heavens Immortal Maiden wiped out the Heavenly Demon Sect, all the sect's grand propaganda vanished overnight. No one even dared to mention it.
When Qin Rushui learned the truth, he was so furious he almost spat blood.
Was that really necessary?
Didn't our Heavenly Demon Sect just boast a little?
That's standard behavior for a demonic sect. Why take it so seriously?
In his view, the Heavenly Demon Sect had been wronged. His only lifelong wish now was that when he descended to the lower realm, he would completely destroy the Nine Heavens Immortal Maiden's sect.
If, after ascending to the Demon Realm, he could somehow find a chance to kill the Nine Heavens Immortal Maiden herself, that would be even better.
Of course, he knew that was pure fantasy.
But in dreams, anyone can be extraordinary.
The more Qin Rushui learned about the Nine Heavens Immortal Maiden, the more he felt his own limits.
Given his position within the Righteous Path Alliance, he had access to all her records.
Ten years to become an Immortal. Severing the Heavenly Path.
Beating Immortals senseless. Thrashing Nether soldiers.
Forcibly dismantling the headquarters of the Righteous Path Alliance.
Destroying countless demonic sects.
Information about the demon race was scarcer, but rumor had it that even their leader had been subdued by the Nine Heavens Immortal Maiden. That was why the demon race had avoided catastrophic losses.
There were even whispers that the evil entities beyond the heavens had been beaten back by her.
Her legend had spread even to the western continent.
For thousands of years, she had dominated this world without ever suffering a setback.
Time passed. She had been gone for more than ten years now. Only a few elders still remembered her clearly.
But Qin Rushui remembered her better than anyone.
Unfortunately, settling this karmic debt with the Nine Heavens Immortal Maiden personally was nearly impossible.
His only hope now was that the upper realm would step up.
Give that arrogant woman a proper beating. Then when he ascended to the Demon Realm, perhaps he could finally sleep in peace.
...
Heavenly Peak.
"I'm still going."
Bai Yiyi had been standing before the teleportation array since daytime. Now night had fallen, and she was still there.
"I already told you, he'll be back tomorrow. Can't you wait just one day?"
Ai Yueli felt exhausted. If she hadn't been watching Bai Yiyi closely, the girl would have run off long ago.
It's only been a day.
Do you really miss him that much?
I've never seen you this anxious over Master.
Back when the Nine Heavens Immortal Maiden ascended, Bai Yiyi cried for an hour, then went right back to playing with them.
Sigh. Once a girl grows up, she's impossible to keep.
"Then… why don't you go?"
Bai Yiyi bit her lip and finally relented.
"Hm?"
"There's so much fun outside. You go and bring him back."
"If he were attached to the mortal world, he wouldn't have come up the mountain to take a master."
"Don't you want to go?"
"..."
Faced with Bai Yiyi's pointed question, Ai Yueli froze.
Or maybe…
I could just go for a little while?