This made Li Yan think of Zhao Min at once. If she had been taken a fancy to by some Nascent Soul from the "Sacred Demon Palace," then he would be in big trouble.
An ancient sect that could single-handedly contend with the Black Demon Clan, if they did not want Zhao Min to leave, what could he do?
They had used the strength of the entire Desolate Moon Continent to deal with only a part of the Black Demon Clan's invading force, and even then, they had almost wiped out the entire cultivation world.
From this, one could imagine the terror and horror of the "Sacred Demon Palace's" strength.
Under the "Sacred Demon Palace," there were also large and small branches of the White Demon Clan, as well as small sects and families.
It was not uncommon for Nascent Soul cultivators to be stationed in these sects and families, and they all obeyed the commands of the "Sacred Demon Palace."
Li Yan only hoped that Zhao Min had ended up in one of these sects and families, so that he would have a chance to take Zhao Min away.
However, Li Yan was not arrogant enough to think that he could easily take Zhao Min away just because the other party was a small sect or family.
He now had to confirm Zhao Min's location, and then formulate a more detailed rescue plan step by step.
From these classics, Li Yan also learned about the more detailed division of the Demon Clan.
Both the Black Demon Clan and the White Demon Clan were managed and ruled in the manner of a large army. A small number of cultivators from other races would also appear in the army. These foreign cultivators were all from races that had close ties with the Demon Clan.
At the same time, the division of cultivation levels in the two clans was also different. In the White Demon Clan army, they did not use titles like Demonic Soldier, Demon Lord, Demonic General, and Demon Marshal to distinguish ranks.
They were divided according to the most ancient levels of the cultivation world: Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul. This was the same as the cultivators of the Desolate Moon Continent.
From this, one could know that the White Demon Clan belonged to a very ancient lineage. Only then did Li Yan truly understand that the Desolate Moon Continent's classification of the Demon Clan's ranks was wrong.
Firstly, the Desolate Moon Continent had always faced the invasion of the Black Demon Clan, so their perception of the Demon Realm was flawed.
For example, the saying that demonic beasts were below Demonic Soldiers, corresponding to Qi Condensation stage demon cultivators, was wrong. The Demon Clan did not advance from demonic beasts.
"Demonic beast" was a general term used by the Human Race for other non-human beast races. For example, the "White Blaze Demon Tiger" that Teng Wuji carried was a race of demonic beasts.
Back then, Li Yan had thought that demon cultivators were promoted from high-level demonic beasts, while the "White Blaze Demon Tiger" and others were low-to-mid-level demonic beasts, belonging to the demonic beasts suppressed by the Demon Clan's bloodline.
The Demon Clan itself was a race. The Black Demon Clan's Qi Condensation stage cultivators who could embark on the path of immortality were called "Demon Condensers," meaning those who had just started on the path of demon cultivation.
The strength of a "Demon Condenser" was too weak to pass through the Devil's Cliff Crevice channel to reach the Desolate Moon Continent.
Therefore, the cultivators on the Desolate Moon Continent had never seen such low-level cultivators appear. Even people like Wei Zhongran might not know.
But this matter might not be a secret to Nascent Soul and Spirit Transformation cultivators. They might even know that the Demon Realm was divided into black and white two demon clans.
It was just that the meaning of explaining this matter was not great. On the contrary, it would make some cultivators on the Desolate Moon Continent think that not all in the Demon Realm were enemies, thereby weakening the spirit of common hatred.
Just like that, over a long period of time, the demon cultivators on the Desolate Moon Continent were instead demonized. Their ferocity and bloodthirstiness made the origin of the Demon Clan simple.
In the end, it became a rumor that they were transformed from low-level ferocious creatures like demonic beasts. This was in line with the brutal characteristics of the Demon Clan.
The Black Demon Clan and the White Demon Clan could no longer be considered sworn enemies now. Although there would be occasional battles at the border, they were basically small-scale battles.
The classics Li Yan saw recorded that the last major war was more than two thousand six hundred years ago.
Many sects and cultivators from the Black Demon Clan and the White Demon Clan already had private dealings with each other, such as communication between sects, or some trade in cultivation resources.
Some special cultivation resources of the Black Demon Clan did not carry any Demonic Qi, but just grew in the eastern region. These things were needed by the cultivators in the western region under the jurisdiction of the White Demon Clan.
Another part was raw materials with Demonic Qi. As long as the Demonic Qi in them was not too much or too violent, they were, on the contrary, excellent raw materials for refining artifacts and pills.
This mainly depended on the choice of the artifact refiner and alchemist, and how they used it. They could also use the violent Demonic Qi to increase the attack power of a magical treasure, or the domineering medicinal power of a pill.
Similarly, many raw materials from the White Demon Clan's side were also needed by the Black Demon Clan.
It was just that this kind of exchange generally occurred in private. The "Sacred Demon Palace" and the "Demon God Hall" did not explicitly encourage it, but they would not strictly prohibit it either.
At the same time, the White Demon Clan's "Sacred Demon Palace" still had some control over the raw materials coming from the east.
If the Demonic Qi in the other party's raw materials was too dense, or the quantity was huge, the "Sacred Demon Palace" would intervene, and even impose severe sanctions. After all, they did not want a large number of cultivators who relied on Demonic Qi for cultivation to unknowingly appear in the west in the future.
Apart from trading raw materials, both sides basically ignored things like the exchange of cultivation methods between the sects below.
After all, this was already considered a necessary part of a cultivator's training. It was rare to have an opponent to suppress them. Since ancient times, the strong have all come from a path paved with blood.
Whether it was the "Demon God Hall" or the "Sacred Demon Palace," who would want their disciples to become weaker and weaker?
Now, the attitude of both sides was that even if a cultivator from the other side came to assassinate someone on their own side, as long as it did not involve cultivators above the Golden Core realm, the high-level members of both sides would basically not intervene.
After Li Yan finished reading the classics, although he still couldn't say he knew much about the Forsaken Continent, he at least knew the general outline now.
In that case, if he wanted to get news about Zhao Min, he had to figure it out at the Hundred Dao Heavenly Treasure Pavilion in Mingdu City as much as possible. This was, on the contrary, the easiest place to start.
The Demon Clan was managed by a military system, and there were countless experts in the army. Even if Li Yan wanted to go to the vicinity of Shan Yiyuan's village to find the few soldiers who had appeared that day, the meaning of the result might not be that great.
Perhaps, the moment Li Yan showed his face near the army, he would be captured.
Besides, those few people were also powerful cultivators. Li Yan was not sure he could completely deal with any one of them.
The combat experience of such cultivators in the army was definitely not weak. They often could not be measured by their realm. Even if they had just entered the Golden Core realm, they were not comparable to ordinary Golden Core cultivators.
They almost all had very strong life-saving trump cards. If he was not careful, he would be counter-killed by the other party, or even fall into an endless pursuit.
Li Yan constantly judged the various pieces of information he had obtained...
On the morning of the third day, Li Yan finally walked out of his room. When he passed through the front hall, he inadvertently discovered a few somewhat surprising figures.
They were six fish-headed, human-bodied cultivators. They were sitting at a table by the window in the front hall of the inn, drinking opposite each other.
At the same time Li Yan discovered them, the six fish-headed, human-bodied cultivators also saw Li Yan at the same time.
In an instant, several hostile gazes were cast towards Li Yan. Four of them were the foreign race cultivators he had encountered outside the city a few days ago.
And besides these four, there were two other cultivators with the same fish heads and human bodies. Their auras were much stronger.
Li Yan roughly sensed them. Of the two fish-headed, human-bodied cultivators he had not seen before, one was at the late-stage of Foundation Establishment, and the other had already reached the Pseudo-Core realm, which was half a step into the Golden Core realm.
Li Yan felt the cold killing intent in their gazes, and he also sneered in his heart.
"There are quite a few inns in the city, yet you chased me here. You even brought reinforcements. Is it just you few? Where are the cultivators of the other race?"
Li Yan remembered that among the foreign race cultivators he had injured that day, there were also a few cultivators with gloomy eyes and long, snow-white tails. It was just that he didn't know what race they were.
Li Yan thought this in his heart, but his footsteps did not stop. He continued to walk out with an expressionless face.
In Mingdu City, would these people dare to act directly? He didn't have the spare time to deal with these matters.
Seeing that Li Yan completely ignored their existence, with a look of indifference, a trace of doubt flashed in the eyes of the fish-headed, human-bodied cultivator whose cultivation had reached the Pseudo-Core realm.
After they had found out that Li Yan was here, they had been waiting for him to leave the city.
At the same time, they had come over to confirm Li Yan's cultivation again, so as not to really kick an iron plate.
Although the overall strength of the human cultivators seemed to be declining now, their relationship with the "Sacred Demon Palace" was still there on the surface.
If they couldn't kill the other party in one blow, and if the other party escaped and had a handle on them, their clan would also be in a lot of trouble.
But as long as they were clean with their work, even if someone suspected them afterwards, what about the evidence?
Without evidence, the "Sacred Demon Palace" would just let it go. Things were different now.
"He should have recognized you too. Does this person really have no companions?"
The Pseudo-Core fish-headed cultivator transmitted his voice to the few people opposite him.
"No, and as soon as he entered this inn, he activated the protective formation, and no one else came to look for him. We have carefully inquired about this."
"Oh, he is indeed at the late-stage of Foundation Establishment, but he seems very confident. He didn't check out just now, looking as if he won't be leaving."
"The Human Race is the most cunning. I will stay here. You go to the four city gates to guard them separately. If he takes the opportunity to leave, inform me as soon as possible."
"As for the Snow Moon Wolf Clan, inform them as well. It would be better if they could make a move, as it would also share some of the impact."
"Otherwise, we will follow him ourselves and act when the opportunity arises."
The Pseudo-Core fish-headed cultivator looked at Li Yan's receding back, tapping his fingers gently on the tabletop, and quickly transmitted his voice.
These few clansmen had asked him and another person to help. Although they had also paid a lot of spirit stones, the most crucial thing was that the reward for killing human cultivators secretly offered by the Black Demon Clan had been raised again.
Just half a year ago, it had been more than doubled. The Black Demon Clan seemed to hate human cultivators more and more. This time, the increase in the reward was very abrupt.
However, as for why the Black Demon Clan did this, their Cangyu Sect did not care. Who wouldn't be willing to earn more money?
If they could kill this human cultivator, he thought that the reward he would get would be even richer.
As for the other companion who had come with him, he did not care about him. A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator dared to compete with him?
At that time, he would just kill that human cultivator with one blow, and he would just be a spectator.
It was just that seeing Li Yan's fearless appearance after sensing their group, it gave the Pseudo-Core fish-headed cultivator a feeling that he would not be easy to deal with.
Li Yan, in a gray robe, walked on the street, unhurriedly.
He walked and stopped on the street, occasionally entering a shop. Usually, after asking a few questions, he would buy some materials and jade slips. He was very leisurely.
His behavior made the two fish-headed, human-bodied cultivators who were monitoring him from a distance grit their teeth.
Judging from this situation, this human cultivator would probably not be leaving the city today. They had already been waiting for this "great master" for several days.
Li Yan just walked down one street after another like this. It was not until noon that he walked directly towards the Hundred Dao Heavenly Treasure Pavilion this time.
The Hundred Dao Heavenly Treasure Pavilion should have two courtyards, front and back. The front was a not-so-large storefront, not very eye-catching.
As soon as Li Yan stepped in, a young man who looked like a shop assistant immediately greeted him with a smile on his face.