Chapter 559: United Demon Clan

Lu Yang and his companion hit it off instantly, deciding on the spot to venture into the Demon Realm.

"We mustn't be too hasty; we must first understand the state of the Demon Realm," Lu Yang remarked with relative restraint, forcing down the rising corners of his mouth.

"Should the other three, like Mangu, come with us to the Demon Realm?"

"Mangu won't do. His ancient barbarian lineage is a double-edged sword to the demon race. It suppresses low-ranking demons, but to high-ranking demon beasts, it simply draws aggression." Lu Yang could still vividly recall their trials in the dense forest during their Foundation Establishment stage, when Mangu's ancient barbarian bloodline awakened, causing a massive swarm of Golden Core stage demon beasts to rush forth like a tide.

If someone like Mangu entered the Demon Realm, it was to be feared that he would draw a vast horde of Soul Formation stage or even higher-level demon beasts. They wouldn't be able to do anything else but devote all their efforts to fleeing for their lives.

Oh, and in terms of fleeing, they might not outrun the demon beasts, so it would still be wiser to directly invoke the First Senior Sister's pictographic boxing.

"Junior Sister Tao is currently busy cultivating the Feathered Immortal Body and cannot step out of doors."

Before coming to Meng Jingzhou's quarters, Lu Yang had paid a visit to Tao Yaoye's place, where he witnessed her enveloped in platinum-gold feathers, as if she were incubating something, completely cut off from all contact with the outside world, a state not to be disturbed.

"Junior Brother Li should be free, we can go and ask him."

Leaving the old horse behind for the time being and ignoring Xu You, who had been placed in shackles, the two arrived at the Peak of a Hundred Refinements to find Li Haoran.

Li Haoran was stripped to the waist, his wig removed to reveal his sinewy muscles and gleaming bald head. He swung a great sledgehammer, grunting as he forged some unknown dharma treasure.

The noise of refining dharma treasures was immense. Disciples of the Peak of a Hundred Refinements would always set up soundproofing arrays before forging to prevent the noise from traveling outward and disturbing their fellow disciples.

"Phew, it is finally done." Li Haoran let out a long breath, picking up a small cuboid object from beneath the great hammer.

"What kind of dharma treasure have you refined here?"

Hearing Lu Yang's voice, Li Haoran looked up and only then noticed the arrival of the two men. Having just been fully immersed in the environment of swinging his hammer, he had paid no attention to his surroundings.

"Ah, you mean this? This is no dharma treasure; this is a compressed mantou."

"This is a fine thing exclusively provided by the Peak of a Hundred Refinements cafeteria for the disciples of our sect. It compresses mantou, Great Return Pills, Concentration Pills, and the like together. Whether one is exhausted from travel or depleted of spiritual energy during battle, just a single bite guarantees the restoration of physical strength and energy!"

"Placing it against the chest allows it to serve as a breastplate mirror as well, its function even stronger than the previous baked flatbreads. Would you like a piece? I have just finished refining it."

The two waved their hands in hasty refusal before explaining the purpose of their visit.

Li Haoran assumed an expression of difficulty. "To the Demon Realm? I am afraid that will not do. My master told me to cultivate peacefully within the sect, and that until I catch up to you both in cultivation realm, I am not permitted to leave."

"Are you not already in the late Golden Core stage?"

"But I only reached the late Golden Core stage three months ago, whereas you two attained it five months ago."

Lu Yang understood; Li Haoran was currently at the Seventh Heaven of the Golden Core, while he and Old Meng were already at the Eighth Heaven.

Such was the gap.

"If you are going to the Demon Realm, it would be best to prepare well in advance. Qin Haoran once fled to the Demon Realm for a time to dodge debts, so by extension, I possess a fair understanding of it. There are certain matters that require caution. For instance, Senior Brother Meng, that horse of your family's would best not be brought into the Demon Realm."

"Ah, why is that?"

"The old horse is a rare variant of a demon beast. If you make a demon beast pull a carriage, are you not afraid of instantly making enemies of the demon race?"

From its outward appearance, the old horse possessed several dragon scales upon its brow, making it very easy to classify it as a variant demon beast—that is, a beast of burden with demon bloodline, though of a mixed and impure strain.

Li Haoran did not know the old horse's true identity.

Yet whether he knew or not made no difference. Regardless of whether the old horse was a demon beast or a variant demon beast, making it pull a carriage differed little from bringing Mangu to the Demon Realm.

"However, if you were to reverse your positions with the old horse, you probably would not invite enmity."

"Reverse it?"

"Meaning the two of you pull the carriage, while the old horse sits inside."

"..."

Then what would be the point of us bringing the old horse along?

"Are the demon beasts truly so united?" Lu Yang grumbled inwardly. The human race was a single species, whereas the demon race was a collective entity of many species. Would the Tiger Clan truly feel rage upon seeing the old horse pull a carriage?

This seemed a bit too united.

"In the beginning, the demon race was not so united either." The Immortal Fairy understood the inside story behind this.

"In the earliest times, demon beasts ran rampant across the land, and there was no place for humanity. The Tiger Clan, Dragon Clan, Ox Clan, Horse Clan, and so forth—there were vast rifts between them, and they often engaged in life-or-death battles."

"Later, with the rise of humanity and the formation of numerous tribes, the demon beasts began to feel the pressure. By the time of our era, the human race claimed three of the five ancient immortals, while the demon race possessed only the Qilin Immortal. The Immortal of Samsara belonged to no single race. Three against one—the humans held too great an advantage at the very pinnacle, which laid the foundation for human dominance."

"Feeling the pressure from humanity, the demon beasts took the initiative to unite, collectively calling themselves the demon race."

Lu Yang thought to himself that he had assumed they were merely afraid of being eaten by her, and were thus forced to unite to present a united front against outsiders.

"Junior Brother Li, could you tell us more about the Demon Realm?" Meng Jingzhou asked.

Li Haoran nodded, using a twig to draw a large circle on the ground, before drawing many small circles within it.

"This is the Demon Realm, and the small circles represent the demon tribes."

"Unlike the Great Xia or the Buddhist Kingdom, the order of the demon race is loose and disorganized, and they have not established any dynasties. They resemble the earliest humans, living with tribes as their strongholds. The relationships between various races are intricate and complex—there are blood feuds, personal grudges, alliances, and betrayals. Do not look upon the relationships of the various demon tribes merely from the surface; there are many things among them of which we are unaware."

"The demon race can be broadly divided into three categories: those amicable toward humans, neutrals, and those who detest humans."

"The likes of the Dragon and Phoenix Clans are those who walk very close to humanity, while the Taowu Clan belongs to those who detest humans, and the Chaos Clan constitutes the neutral faction. When you arrive among the demons, you must be careful, and try your best to stay within the territories of demon tribes amicable to humans."

"The demon race reveres strength and bloodline above all. The purer the bloodline and the higher the strength, the more easily they command respect."

"The likes of pure-blooded Dragons, pure-blooded Phoenixes, and pure-blooded Black Tortoises—those who belong to great clans and possess pure bloodlines—occupy the highest status within the demon race."

"Of course, the human race is an exception. At the very least, I have never heard of the demon race respecting us merely because we are pure-blooded humans."

Following this, Li Haoran went on to describe the taboos of various clans, such as how a dragon possesses an inverted scale that must not be touched, or how one must never mention to the Phoenix Clan the matter of them selling their own blood, and so on.

"My knowledge of the Demon Realm is limited. After all, I currently possess only half of Qin Haoran's memories, and many things are blurry. Telling you might instead mislead you. The elders traveled far and wide in their youth, to the underworld and the righteous paths, prisons and brothels, the Buddhist Kingdom and the Demon Realm—which of them have they not visited? You could ask them if there are any other matters requiring attention."

"That makes sense."

The elders were rich in experience. From the orthodox to the unorthodox paths, prisons and brothels, the Buddhist Kingdom and the Demon Realm, which place had they not frequented?

The Grand Elder was currently conversing with Xu You, so the two sought out Old Man Ba.

"We are going to the Demon Realm. Are there any matters we should be cautious of?"

Old Man Ba lowered his head in thought for a moment before speaking with absolute gravity.

"Do not mention that you are from the Asking Sect."

The second update will be at eleven o'clock.

(End of chapter)