Chapter 744: North Demon's Conjecture

Jiyuan did not let Miaoyun fall into wild speculation but spoke directly.

"If your heart is troubled, it might be because you have already reached your initial goal. In that case, simply cast aside those messy distractions and stop thinking about anything complicated. Just purely love the sword."

Jiyuan said no more to Demon King Miaoyun, turning his gaze to the distance.

While the Tumbling Heavens Beast was disgorging the demons and spirits it had swallowed, other demons were returning the Weimei Sect disciples they had previously captured. The Demon King Huanggu, who had seized them, felt somewhat relieved he hadn't devoured them directly, having originally intended to extract principles of immortal cultivation or slowly absorb their essence.

Six Weimei Sect disciples were released, almost all injured, but not severely. However, the magical treasures they had used were gone, and even their outermost magical robes had been taken. This meant that anything hidden within the robes via spatial storage techniques was also lost, and the demons clearly had no intention of returning them.

For Jiang Xueling and the others, this was not a major concern; rather, the fact that the missing disciples were still alive was an unexpected delight.

Even though they were usually aloof and proud, the female immortals of Weimei Sect were exceptionally excited to return. Despite their weakened state, they eagerly flew back to the Tumbling Heavens Beast from their captors.

"Grandmaster!" "Grandmaster, Senior Sister!"

"It's good you're back. Take your time to heal."

The Weimei Sect disciples naturally saw the Tumbling Heavens Beast's pitiful state, but at the moment, they paid it no mind. They all returned to the only relatively intact observation deck on the beast's back to recover their vital energy. The islands within the Tumbling Heavens Beast's belly were temporarily inaccessible because the beast had sealed itself due to severe injuries, and fortunately, no one was inside.

The Weimei Sect had carefully checked and confirmed that no one was missing. As for the Southern Barrens demon race, they were even less meticulous; after the Tumbling Heavens Beast finished disgorging, they didn't count at all, completely unconcerned about who might be missing. They neither knew the exact number nor cared about it; all they wanted was to go through the motions and save face.

However, these weakened demons and spirits, once released, could not leave immediately. They all stood on the broad head of the Tumbling Heavens Beast, alongside the remaining demon kings and a few great demons, each looking both terrified and uneasy.

"Hehehe, what are you scared of? This is your good fortune after surviving a great calamity. Later, those immortals will give you qi-fortifying elixirs, guaranteeing you won't suffer any loss. These kinds of elixirs, by yourselves, you'd never obtain them in your lifetime."

A great demon sinisterly reminded them from the side. His narrow, elongated snout and grim tone made the nearby demons involuntarily feel a chill, but upon recovering their senses, they became subtly expectant.

Several demon kings now stood before Jiyuan and the others. A narrow-eyed demon king, with a sinister smile, spoke to Jiang Xueling.

"Alright, all your Weimei Sect disciples have returned. It's time to fulfill the rest of the agreement. Where are our elixirs? Remember, they must be effective for us too."

"That's right, if they're useless pills, they don't count!" "Exactly, don't try to fool us with ineffective elixirs!"

"Demon King" was merely a title and did not necessarily represent a specific realm for demons, but undeniably, those who could become Demon Kings far surpassed ordinary great demons. Their powerful demon bodies meant that many elixirs, even those refined by immortals, might not be effective for them.

Jiang Xueling simply cupped her hands towards Lian Baiping. The latter snorted at the demon kings, then reluctantly took out some small jade bottles from his sleeve and handed them to Jiang Xueling. She then formally bowed to Lian Baiping in gratitude.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Lian, for lending the elixirs. I will gather the materials and compensate you for your loss when I return."

"No need, no need. This matter began because of me; consider it my compensation."

Jiang Xueling smiled, then nodded to Jiyuan beside her before approaching the demon kings and handing them the small jade bottles.

After taking the jade bottles, some demon kings pulled out the stoppers and sniffed. A faint, pure fragrance wafted out. The scent was not overpowering, seeming unlike a truly extraordinary immortal elixir, yet its aroma was invigorating and lingered long after the stopper was replaced.

"What kind of elixir is this? Is it really effective?"

At Demon King Huanggu's question, Lian Baiping immediately became displeased and said disdainfully,

"Ignorant. This is the Bright Spirit Elixir, personally refined by me. As its name suggests, it's excellent for the spiritual essence, perfectly addressing your weakness. As for its efficacy, could a dignified Demon King not discern it just by sniffing?"

The demon kings showed no reaction on their faces, but their hearts were overflowing with joy. A gentle shake told them each small bottle contained over a dozen pills, which were truly rare for them.

"Hmm, cough! Good, these elixirs are excellent. This matter is concluded; you may leave!"

One demon king said impatiently, but a great demon behind him reminded him.

"Your Majesty, they haven't given the qi-fortifying elixirs to the lesser ones yet."

"Oh, yes, that's right."

Despite their declining interest, the immortal cultivators remembered their promise more clearly and would not easily break their word. Therefore, Jiang Xueling had already prepared over a dozen bottles of elixirs.

Jiang Xueling pulled the stopper from one of the bottles, then fanned her hand, and a rich elixir fragrance drifted among the demons, causing many to instinctively swallow.

To some extent, although these elixirs were not as potent as the Bright Spirit Elixir, they were more comprehensive, especially in restoring vital energy, making them extremely suitable for demons of intermediate strength.

"This elixir is called Solid Life Elixir. Even the main disciples of my Weimei Sect cannot obtain it casually. It is given as compensation, one for each person."

With that, Jiang Xueling flicked her sleeve, and the stoppers of the dozen or so elixir bottles floating before her simultaneously opened. The elixirs within transformed into streaks of mysterious light and flew out towards the demons standing behind. They instinctively caught the elixirs, feeling as if they were holding a glowing hot coal, extremely warm but not painful. The elixirs in their hands radiated a reddish glow.

'What a treasure!'

This was almost the first thought of every demon who saw the true form of the elixir. Only a few demon kings remained calm.

"Alright, we are now even."

"Indeed. Then, esteemed members of the demon race, let this matter conclude here. We hope you will honor your word and allow us to depart."

Jiyuan bowed and spoke. The demon kings, wary, returned a relatively polite bow.

"That is natural. You may all leave."

Miaoyun also said to Jiyuan,

"Mister Ji, we bid you farewell!"

With that, the demon kings sequentially ascended and departed from the Tumbling Heavens Beast. The great demons followed them, and the newly released demons who had just received the Solid Life Elixirs, after a slight delay, also realized they should leave quickly. They scattered, either leaping directly from the Tumbling Heavens Beast or summoning demon winds.

"A moment, please, a few of you."

Jiyuan's voice reached the ears of some spirits and demons, causing them to instinctively halt. When they came to their senses, the surrounding demons had all left, leaving only a dozen or so still on the Tumbling Heavens Beast, making them instantly nervous.

These spirits looked at the distant demon lights and demon winds, realizing no one else cared about them still on the Tumbling Heavens Beast.

"Uh, Immortal Senior, is there something else?"

It was an ordinary-looking spirit who spoke, his voice filled with apprehension, while Jiyuan wore a slight smile.

"Do not fear, all of you. I deliberately kept you not to harm you. While Fellow Daoist Jiang gave you the Solid Life Elixir simply, the elixir itself is excellent. I needn't say much about what kind of place the Southern Barrens is. Seeing that you bear no evil aura, I will help you."

Jiyuan did not explain further. A wolf-hair brush spun out from his sleeve. Without drawing ink, a wisp of water vapor condensed before Jiyuan. He held the wolf-hair brush, dabbed it into a small cluster of water droplets, and then used water as ink to write two characters in the air: "Spiritual Cache."

The two characters in the air shimmered like flowing ripples of water, emitting a faint yet brilliant spiritual light. Then, Jiyuan waved his sleeve again, and the watery light split into over a dozen streams, which struck the bodies of these demons and spirits, startling them. They quickly checked themselves to see if anything was amiss.

"Alright, as long as you yourselves don't act too excessively, taking this elixir within three years should not cause any particular disturbance. Find a quiet place to refine it."

These demons and spirits suddenly understood, and each bowed again to Jiyuan.

"Thank you, Immortal Senior, for your blessing!"

After bowing, the remaining spirits also fled. They understood well that in a place like the Southern Barrens, possessing valuable items made one a target, and among the many demons who had just received elixirs, few would be able to enjoy them in peace.

Once the Tumbling Heavens Beast was quiet, Jiyuan turned to his companions.

"Let's go too. Fellow Daoist Lian, what about the demon's whereabouts?"

Lian Baiping had been waiting for Jiyuan's question.

"One thousand two hundred li to the southwest. It has slowed down, likely feeling safe and preparing to heal. However, the demon with that strange demon light has somewhat erratic and hard-to-determine movements."

"Hmm, knowing the demon lord's location is enough. Let's go."

"Good."

The Weimei Sect cultivators completed their formation, enveloping the entire Tumbling Heavens Beast, then ascended in immortal light and flew away, heading southwest, quickly disappearing from the eyes of the monitoring demons hidden in the shadows.

In a cave within a hill filled with strange rocks to the southwest, the handsome youth, Northern Wood, was suppressing his sword injury. His face was truly alternating between green and pale. The sword injury did not look severe, but it caused extreme pain, a pure agony that even a demon could barely endure. Moreover, he was not a true demon, so he could not achieve the truly formless nature of a demon body, and his pain tolerance had its limits.

"Hah... hah... Finally, it feels better..."

The pain from the sword injury had lessened somewhat, allowing Northern Wood to breathe. He lowered his head to look at the wound; much of the sword qi had been worn away, but the remaining sword qi, imbued with sword intent, would require painstaking effort to remove.

'I wonder if that Demon King and Lu Wu died. Lu Wu probably won't die. That guy is extremely cunning, even harder to grasp than an ordinary demon. How could he make a slip of the tongue? Did I offend him somehow before, or did that Demon King offend him?'

From many possibilities, Northern Wood suddenly thought of a scenario: that Demon King constantly calling Lu Wu "younger brother" or "little brother," treating him as a junior from the start of their interaction. Although Lu Wu's face was expressionless, he might have been insidious enough to use Jiyuan's hand to take revenge.

Although it seemed absurd, and such a disregard for the bigger picture was highly unlikely, Northern Wood, thinking of Lu Wu's unpredictable personality, strangely felt that this possibility might be the closest to the truth. Frankly, few in the Heaven's Enlightenment Alliance were truly normal.

The more he thought about it, the more Northern Wood felt this was possible, and Lu Wu had even risked Jiyuan's attention.

Northern Wood shivered.

'That lunatic...'