Chapter Forty-Three: The Demonic Realm of the Southern Barbarians

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In the afternoon, the two left the Riverwatch Inn.

Yu Wenwen had already notified the elders of the Daoist Sect’s Pure Law Hall. As for the purpose behind Yang Kaitai, Liu Yiyi, and the others from the Land of Qianchuan infiltrating the Daoist Sect, such matters were now none of their concern.

A rainbow arced up from outside Nanhe City, vanishing in the blink of an eye above the sea of clouds.

Amidst the swirling clouds, the two soared toward the border river a hundred miles from the city, where traces of spiritual energy shimmered in irregular ripples.

High above the sea of clouds, Yu Wenwen observed Shen Yu’s posture as he rode his sword.

Ordinary disciples, upon entering the Path-entry Realm, could fly on objects, but most spread their arms wide, striving to maintain balance.

Shen Yu, however, was unlike them. He stood on the tip of his toes atop the sword, his hands casually folded behind his back, gazing serenely ahead. His stance was remarkably stable, exuding an effortless grace.

There was not a hint of affectation—only a natural composure, as if he had been riding the sword for a thousand years.

Suddenly, Shen Yu spoke. “How is your swordsmanship progressing?”

Yu Wenwen withdrew her thoughts and shook her head. “It’s rather profound. I’ve only grasped a part.”

Shen Yu asked again, “Yesterday, the strike I delivered to Huike at the Shen family mansion—did you see it clearly?”

“The art of wielding a sword differs greatly from that of controlling it with the mind. And though your strike had nothing to do with cultivation level, the sword intent was overwhelming. I never imagined that the art of wielding a sword could unleash such dominance.”

Shen Yu paid her praise no heed. “Whether wielding or controlling the sword, for a true swordsman, neither is crucial. What matters is the intent behind the sword. In this world, there are countless sword intents—Tyrant Sword, Royal Sword, Benevolent Sword—all aligned with the true meaning of the Great Dao. These are what you must comprehend. You possess an innate Daoist constitution. I hope you can realize a sword intent of your own.”

Yu Wenwen had always been revered and envied by her peers. Rarely had anyone spoken to her as Shen Yu did, like an elder instructing a young junior.

This made her feel a little awkward.

But his tone was so calm that she could not find it in herself to resist. It felt as natural as breathing.

She shook her head, as if to dispel such thoughts from her mind.

South of Nanhe City lay the border between the human realm and the Demon Domain. After half an hour of flight, they spotted a white line stretching across the land.

They hovered in the air, looking into the distance.

The white line ran unbroken, splitting heaven and earth asunder.

This was the border river between the human world and the Demon Domain—Abyssal River. It originated from Mount Bowang, thousands of miles away, and ended in the legendary Southern Barbarian Demon Domain.

...

Standing atop his wooden sword, Shen Yu asked, “Why did the founder of the Daoist Sect establish it in the southwest?”

Yu Wenwen was puzzled. After a long silence, she answered, “I suppose it was to guard this land, preventing the beasts of the Southern Barbarian Demon Domain from moving north and wreaking havoc.”

Shen Yu gazed at the mountains and rivers, the wind scattering his hair. He said quietly, “Is there another possibility?”

Yu Wenwen asked, “What do you mean?”

Shen Yu replied slowly, “Perhaps he simply wanted to be closer to home.”

...

The air fell silent.

Yu Wenwen stared at him in disbelief.

The Sword Pavilion had stood in the southwest for three thousand years. Whenever the Southern Barbarian Demon Domain attempted to invade, it was always the disciples of the Daoist Sect who first stood in their way at Nanhe City. Countless disciples had died on the banks of this river. It was their blood that had earned the Daoist Sect its revered position on the Spirit Wasteland Continent.

But if Shen Yu’s words were true, wouldn’t the Daoist Sect become the greatest joke in the land?

Shen Yu did not continue. Instead, he looked down.

By the edge of a waterfall along the Abyssal River, a group had gathered. Among them was a familiar face.

Monk Huike stood at the center, surrounded by dozens of young men and women, all upright and extraordinary in bearing, their expressions grave as they gazed into the abyss.

Li Chan of Green Emperor City was not among them, likely still recovering from her wounds.

Yu Wenwen said, “So it’s not just Huike from Lingyin Temple—other holy lands have sent their disciples as well.”

Shen Yu gazed into the distance, saying nothing.

Yu Wenwen glanced at him, then continued, “But these are only ordinary disciples, incomparable to Huike’s status.”

Shen Yu withdrew his gaze from the abyss. “It’s coming.”

A roar!

This waterfall was bottomless, the mighty torrent plunging like a celestial river. From the endless darkness came the howl of a beast.

A vast demon aura surged forth like a boulder striking water, rippling out from the depths.

A wild wind arose, scattering stones and branches in all directions. The clothing of the two in the sky rustled in the gale.

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In the next moment, countless roars of demons echoed, though less imposing than before, as if in worship of some great being.

As the demonic energy poured from the abyss, it finally coalesced into a pillar as thick as a mountain, piercing the sky.

The once-bright sky turned instantly to night. Under the boundless dusk, an oppressive fear pressed upon the hearts of all at the border.

Yu Wenwen, face grave, said, “Such overwhelming demonic energy, even causing myriad demons to worship—what could be happening within?”

The message from her sect had only mentioned frequent surges of demonic energy near Nanhe City’s border, with unstable spiritual energy, hence she was sent to investigate. But seeing this, the matter was clearly more complicated.

She hadn’t expected an answer—but Shen Yu surprised her once again.

“It’s transcending a tribulation,” Shen Yu said offhandedly, his gaze fixed on the abyss. “A monkey, unable to stay in one place, wants a change—so it seeks to break through.”

He pondered and continued, “It seems it might enter the Ascension Realm. Quite a fine little monkey—ah, the legendary Demon King’s body.”

A Demon King... and a monkey... an Ascension Realm Demon King.

Shen Yu’s tone was indifferent, as if he were speaking of something utterly mundane.

“Are you serious?” Yu Wenwen drew a deep breath. “If a demon monkey enters the Ascension Realm, wouldn’t it be able to fight two human experts of that level at once?”

“It could.”

A thunderous roar erupted from the abyss.

A colossal shadow, nearly a thousand feet tall, appeared beneath the waterfall, rearing its head with a sky-shaking howl, flinging water in all directions.

Dark clouds gathered above, and a bolt of heavenly lightning struck straight down from the heavens, smashing into the ancient beast and illuminating the abyss.

Even from a thousand miles away, Yu Wenwen could feel the annihilating aura. She murmured, “And you call that a little monkey?”

Shen Yu thought for a moment, then replied earnestly, “It could be called a giant ape.”

“She’s indeed a little monkey, only she’s lived a thousand years—so, she’s grown quite a bit.”

A cheerful, unrestrained laugh sounded suddenly at their side, as if appearing from nowhere.

Shen Yu’s hands, folded behind his back, clenched tightly, and for the first time, his expression grew grave.

A middle-aged man had appeared beside Shen Yu, standing in midair, gazing at the descending tribulation lightning with a faint smile.

His features were ordinary, yet unforgettable, his presence serene yet commanding. No trace of his aura leaked forth, but standing quietly in midair, it was as if he alone filled all of heaven and earth.

With his arrival, the world seemed to freeze. Even the thunder from the heavens fell silent.

It was as if a king had descended; all creation was hushed.

Shen Yu turned his head. Yu Wenwen now gazed blankly ahead, caught in a mysterious trance, oblivious to her surroundings.

“A minor magical art,” the extraordinary man said with a smile.

Shen Yu slowly unclenched his fists. After a long silence, he finally spoke. “The Demon Emperor of the Southern Barbarian Demon Domain?”

The man nodded. “Shang Yang.”

One of the few great cultivators of the Spirit Wasteland Continent, the ruler of the Southern Barbarian Demon Domain—the Demon Emperor, Shang Yang.

Shen Yu’s expression remained calm. To encounter such a peerless cultivator at the border of the Demon Domain, there could be only one.

The youth said quietly, “Greetings.”

The middle-aged man looked out at the strange phenomenon in the distance. “That ancient giant ape hails from the Southern Barbarians. She’s cultivated for nearly a thousand years. Now her demon power is complete, her body at its limit. This breakthrough is only natural.”

Shen Yu said nothing.

Why would such a figure seek him out for idle conversation?

“I mean no harm. I merely wished to meet you, and perhaps block a few of your human elders who might come meddling.”

Shang Yang continued, “They say the debt of the father falls to the son—in this case, my daughter owes you a favor, so as her father, I must repay it.”

Shen Yu was taken aback, but then understood. “So, the emperor of the Demon Domain sent his own daughter to cultivate at the Daoist Sect. Truly, the ways of the world are unpredictable.”

The man’s smile remained. “You’re not bad yourself. Knowing who my daughter is, yet still befriending her.”

“In the cultivation of the Great Dao, race is meaningless. In my eyes, there is only like and dislike.”

Shen Yu replied calmly, “You need not test me—I have no designs on the girl.”

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“I know. Otherwise, you’d have died long ago.”

Shang Yang’s smile deepened. “So, in future, if you ever find yourself in trouble, you’re welcome to seek me in the Demon Domain.”

Shen Yu heard the implication. “I am a disciple of the Daoist Sect.”

“I know you well. There are people of the Demon Domain in Nanhe City, so I know all that happened back then—including the matters of the Shen family and Cloud Sun Monastery.”

Shang Yang shook his head. “But I know you care nothing for such things.”

Shen Yu was silent for a long time. At last, he said, “If there’s a chance, I’ll visit.”

Shang Yang sighed. “I hope you’ll look after Yingluo. She’s still young.”

“So that’s it.” Shen Yu smiled faintly. “The hearts of parents are ever the same.”

At this, the man could no longer hold back his laughter.

“A thousand years—since I ascended the throne, no one in this world has dared speak to me in such a manner.”

With a wave of his sleeve, Shang Yang said, “The sages at the Academy once said that a man’s fate is determined by heaven, and who rules is set in stone. I dislike scholars, but the sages’ words—I am willing to trust.”

Shen Yu remained composed, not responding directly. Instead, he suddenly asked, “Where is the Demon Emperor Zhu Jiu now?”

The world fell utterly silent, the air turning icy.

The man’s face became glacial, as if he might slay the youth before him at any moment.

Shen Yu was unperturbed, his hands behind his back, calmly meeting the emperor’s gaze.

“In the Demon Domain, anyone who utters that name dies by my hand. Do you know you risk death as well?”

Shen Yu’s eyes seemed to hold a myriad stars, a destructive aura swirling around him, distorting the very laws of the Dao.

He looked at the Demon Emperor and said quietly, “Where is Zhu Jiu?”

Silence.

At length, Shang Yang replied in a low voice, “My daughter has only you as a friend. I do not know who you are, nor why you ask of that one.”

The world gradually returned to normal, the broken laws of the Dao slowly mending.

“Zhu Jiu has been missing for three thousand years. No one knows his whereabouts.”

Shen Yu nodded slightly and said nothing more.

In the distance, the strange phenomenon faded. The thousand-foot figure shrank, finally resuming human form.

The wild demonic energy dispersed. The ancient giant ape now exuded no aura at all, as if it had merged with heaven and earth.

The man’s stern expression softened, a hint of relief showing on his face.

A beast of the Ascension Realm would have a profound impact on the Southern Barbarian Demon Domain.

Shang Yang glanced at the youth nearby and suddenly asked, “Shen Yu, if one day the whole world sought your life, what would you do?”

Shen Yu replied quietly, “Then I would kill them.”

The man raised an eyebrow. “The whole world?”

Shen Yu smiled calmly. “What of it?”

“Good.”

Shang Yang laughed, producing a green jade pendant and tossing it over. “If you ever find trouble, break this in the Demon Domain, and I’ll aid you once.”

Shen Yu did not refuse.

With a step forward, the Demon Emperor vanished.

In an instant, the world returned to normal.

Yu Wenwen awoke as if from a dream, suddenly looking up, her clear eyes meeting Shen Yu’s.

Shen Yu looked back at her.