Chapter 789

Chapter 789: Land of Demons and Monsters

"The benefits of mental energy truly showed themselves here." Ye Yun opened his eyes after completing his sensory sweep, gazing at the surroundings with faint pride. Though his mental energy could only slightly affect opponents in direct combat, it remained his most reliable tool in these circumstances.

Experts at the Eighth Level Earth Immortal realm possessed far stronger mental energy, but without proper cultivation techniques to control it, they were like paupers sitting atop gold mountains. Ye Yun, however, wielded a supreme Immortal artifact for mental enhancement. A simple twist of the purple ring on his left hand amplified his power, allowing him to perceive anything he wished with crystal clarity.

Though few demons crossed their path as Ye Yun led the way, occasional low-tier creatures appeared—simple-minded beings easily lulled into sleep. The real concern was a Seventh Level Earth Immortal beast king voraciously devouring giant rocks ahead. Each swallow of scorching stone caused its caterpillar-like body to swell, crimson light rippling across its expanding form.

When Tianqing raised his hand to strike, Ye Yun stopped him. If this creature wasn’t killed instantly, its enraged roar would summon irreversible trouble—even Ye Yun’s intervention would prove futile.

Relief washed over Ye Yun as the fiery caterpillar finished feeding and crawled away. He’d worried the beast might stubbornly remain, but fortune favored them today.

"We move swiftly now," Ye Yun whispered to Tianqing. "Avoid alerting anything. If unavoidable danger strikes, eliminate it immediately—or we’ll inherit its consequences."

"Fear not! Tianqing fears no small demons. Should a horde appear, I’ll obliterate them!" Tianqing chuckled at Ye Yun’s cautious creeping along the wall.

"Your confidence forgets my presence. My task isn’t demon-slaying. If trouble comes, you’ll stay behind as bait." Ye Yun sighed at his companion’s carefree demeanor.

The blame lay with Ye Yun himself for dragging Tianqing into this. Even as he restrained Tianqing’s impulsive strikes, he acknowledged the youth’s inexperience. Hardship would temper him—perhaps one day, Ye Yun might rely on him.

"Don’t provoke what you can’t kill instantly." Ye Yun repeated the warning, frustrated by Tianqing’s half-hearted nod. "Hold your strikes, Tianqing. This mission’s success means everything. I’ll repay your restraint."

When Tianqing nodded solemnly, Ye Yun peered into the yawning black abyss below—a bottomless pit reeking of demon energy. Reviewing the blue jade tablet’s memory fragments in his Storage Treasure, he leapt without using true qi or spiritual power, wind whistling through his fingers.

Thick demonic presence confirmed numerous hidden creatures. Ye Yun glanced at Tianqing descending beside him, signaling caution.

"I know—suppress my aura. Understood." Tianqing grinned.

"This is Nine Demons Burning’s seventh level—thicker demon energy means absolute stealth. Disturb nothing." Ye Yun closed his eyes as the black opening neared. Passing through a gelatinous barrier, he frowned at the slime coating his body, burning it away with Fire Spirit power.

"Disgusting place," Tianqing muttered, divine light flaring briefly around him before retracting. Surveying the filth-strewn landscape, he grimaced. "You’re certain demons dwell here?"

"Doubt increases the need for caution." Ye Yun pulled Tianqing into a Deceptive Array as a flattened flying fish glided past. "Endure this. Next visit, we’ll turn this place upside down."

"Truly?" Tianqing’s eyes sparkled.

"If you obey precautions now. Chaos later, discipline today."

"Agreed!" Tianqing’s mood lifted. Destroying this wretched place became his new fixation, though the growing urge to wreak immediate havoc strained his control. His divine body burned with inherited hatred for the Demon Race—each moment amplified the bloodlust.

"Remarkable restraint," the Ancestor commented privately to Ye Yun. "His kindred spirit wars against ancient grudges."

Ye Yun studied Tianqing’s trembling form. Guilt prickled his heart—friendship shouldn’t demand such torment.

"Swift resolution then." They leapt into another abyss. Emerging into blurred surroundings absent from the jade tablet’s records, Ye Yun frowned. "Where is this?"

Tianqing’s slumped posture softened Ye Yun’s stance. "Release some frustration if needed. No major harm done."

Tianqing’s eyes blazed. Rings of blazing sun materialized behind him as his fists tore through space, shockwaves stinging Ye Yun’s face like needle gales.

"Falling Star Calamity Fist!" Each strike quaked the realm. Ye Yun chuckled ruefully—beneath Tianqing’s gentle exterior raged tempests. The divine body’s power carried price and peril.

As spatial cracks spiderwebbed around them, Ye Yun called halt. Tianqing gaped at the damage. "My doing?"

"Indeed. Continue, and spatial rifts will swallow us whole."

The Ancestor’s voice suddenly sharpened. "Fools! Use Born as a Sword to slash this space—NOW!"