Zhu Ju couldn’t possibly take the Ye Family Siblings as disciples. He had too many secrets and couldn’t allow anyone to get too close.

Still, they were related to an old acquaintance.

Out of respect for Ye Chongshan, Zhu Ju brought the two to the mines.

Yan Bohu had already given up on Cultivation. As an Innate expert from the Mortal World, he was a more suitable teacher for them.

He told them to cultivate diligently, left them a Cultivation Technique and some Demon Beast Flesh, and considered the matter settled.

「A few days later.」

「Quiet Chamber.」

SWISH!

Zhu Ju’s eyes snapped open, a flicker of irritation in them.

’The Blood Flood Dragon Bandits are running rampant, and Hejian Prefecture has been in crisis for a long time. Why has my sister never mentioned any of this in her letters?’

’What exactly is the situation over there?’

’How can I rest easy knowing nothing at all?’

He walked out of the courtyard, glanced at the sky, and sighed helplessly before heading toward Feifeng Mountain.

To his surprise, the person he was looking for wasn’t there.

"Senior Sister Song isn’t here?"

"She’s not."

The junior sister who greeted him shook her head gently.

"There’s trouble at the Ancient Northern Pass. The Sect received a call for aid from the general defending the pass and sent a group of Disciples as reinforcements."

"Senior Sister Song was among them."

She looked at Zhu Ju, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"You must be Senior Brother Zhu Ju, right? Before she left, Senior Sister Song said you don’t need to rush to pay back the Spirit Stones you owe her."

"The Ancient Northern Pass," Zhu Ju asked, "I remember a Dao Foundation Cultivator from the Dazhou Court is stationed there. How could something still go wrong?"

"Yes," the junior sister sighed.

"We don’t know the full situation yet, but it’s said to involve Demonic Cultivators. The Sect even sent one of our Dao Foundation Cultivators this time."

As the first major pass in the south of Dazhou, the Ancient Northern Pass’s former role was to prevent the invasion of Demon Beasts and Barbarians from the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Now,

more and more Dazhou cultivators were passing through it to enter the Ten Thousand Mountains, turning the Ancient Northern Pass into a bastion against infiltration by the Demon Dao.

The roles of attacker and defender had been reversed.

With an Array and a Dao Foundation Cultivator, in theory, not even a Golden Core Grandmaster in person might be able to break through.

’If a place this vital is having problems, isn’t the situation in the mortal cities even more dire?’

After leaving Feifeng Mountain, Zhu Ju went to the Sect’s posthouse.

"Senior Brother."

The posthouse steward sighed helplessly.

"Your letter was sent to Hejian Prefecture in the Mortal World. A round trip takes at least ten to fifteen days."

"It’s not unusual for it to take several months."

"It hasn’t been that long. How could there possibly be a reply already?"

"I sent it express," Zhu Ju said with a frown.

"Could you please check for me, Junior Brother? See if there are any letters from Hejian Prefecture."

"Even with express, it’s impossible," the steward said, shaking his head.

"We can use Spirit Birds and carrier pigeons on our end, but things aren’t that fast in the Mortal World. You’ll just have to wait."

"Don’t worry, Senior Brother. If a letter for you arrives here, we’ll deliver it to you at once."

"...Fine." Zhu Ju sighed in resignation. Finally, he asked,

"You receive letters from all over, Junior Brother. Do you know anything about the situation in Hejian Prefecture?"

"I only receive the letters, I don’t read them," the steward said.

"But the Mortal World is in chaos right now. I’m afraid the Hejian Prefecture you mentioned probably hasn’t been spared."

"I see..." Zhu Ju’s expression flickered.

"Thank you."

"Don’t mention it."

Leaving the posthouse, Zhu Ju was at a loss for where to go next. His heart was filled with anxiety, and he couldn’t calm his mind.

* * *

A giant Flying Ship made of Spirit Wood slowly landed on the mountain peak, and one by one, Bright Void Sect disciples were called by name to board.

This was the mode of transport to the Mortal World.

Once a year.

It could carry a thousand people at a time.

While it was no match for the Bright Void Sect’s Void Treasure Ship, it was still the fastest way from the Ten Thousand Mountains to the lands of mortals.

Ever since he’d learned of the grim situation in Hejian Prefecture, Zhu Ju had found it impossible to calm his mind and focus on his Cultivation.

After much deliberation,

he finally decided to make the trip himself.

He would get his sister Zhu Shuang and her family out of danger first. If they came to the Bright Void Sect, he could at least look after them.

"Junior Brother."

"We’ve now confirmed that Demonic Cultivators from the Celestial Corpse Sect and the Joyful Sect are active near the Ancient Northern Pass. There have been several incidents where entire towns of people have vanished. A situation like this usually means there’s a Demonic Dao Foundation Cultivator hiding in the area."

"I understand why you want to go to Hejian Prefecture, but you must be quick. Don’t act on impulse and get yourself into a dangerous situation."

Shen Youyin said, his voice laced with worry:

"Demonic Cultivators use bizarre methods. You’ve only opened two Acupoints. If you run into one, you must get away."

"Brother Shen," Bao Xin, an Inner Sect Disciple from the Celestial Sword Lineage who was also heading to the Mortal World, said, shaking his head speechlessly.

"A few years ago, Junior Brother Zhu cut down one of Black Death Master’s personal disciples. His Cultivation has improved since then. As long as he doesn’t run into a Core Disciple from the Demon Sect, it’s hard to say who would win."

"Hmph!" Shen Youyin snorted.

"Junior Brother Zhu is different from you. He has a bright future ahead of him and will one day be a pillar of our Dragon Head Lineage."

"You’re going to fight demons and defend the righteous path. Junior Brother Zhu is just visiting his family. Don’t you dare drag him into your mess."

"Don’t worry," Bao Xin shrugged.

"Let’s go!"

The Flying Ship took to the sky, kicking up a gale. It smashed through the thick cloud layer, which swirled around the vessel in wisps.

Zhu Ju stood on the deck, watching the shrinking mountain peaks, and then turned his gaze to the distance.

Hejian Prefecture!

*

*

*

The giant ship had three decks. Each had a few rooms, but the rest was open deck space extending out from the hull.

Those without a room stayed on the deck.

Having decided to travel at the last minute, Zhu Ju naturally couldn’t get a room and had to rough it out on the deck.

Fortunately, the ship had an Array that shielded it from the Gang Wind at high altitudes, so standing on deck still allowed one to enjoy the scenery below.

The situation wasn’t too bad.

"Senior Brother Bao."

Zhu Ju said, offering his thanks:

"Thank you for saving those two juniors of mine."

Ye Yao and Ye Jingming were rescued by Bao Xin while he was on a mission and sent to Dragon Head Peak.

"It was nothing," Bao Xin said with a dismissive wave.

"Junior Brother, do you know the origin of this ship?"

"I don’t know," Zhu Ju shook his head.

"I was just about to ask."

"This giant ship was built by the Xiao Family over several decades," Bao Xin explained, standing nearby with his hands clasped behind his back.

"The Ten Thousand Mountains are rich in resources, but Cultivation here is arduous. The Xiao Family has always wanted to open up a channel of communication with the Dazhou Cultivation Sects."

"The bottom hold of this giant ship holds goods worth at least hundreds of thousands of Spirit Stones."

"Heh..."

He shook his head lightly and sighed.

"Now it seems the Xiao Family didn’t need to go to so much trouble. As the Demon Sect’s invasion intensifies, more and more Cultivation Sects will move to the Ten Thousand Mountains, and we will have more neighbors."

"Senior Brother," Zhu Ju said, turning his head to look.

"You don’t seem to have much faith in the Dazhou Cultivation World."

"..." Bao Xin looked up, his expression complicated.

"Before the Jade Void Sect was destroyed, the Demon Sect was trapped in a corner, left to suffer in that bitter, frozen wasteland."

"But now..."

"The Demon Heaven Six Paths are invincible!"

’Demon Heaven Six Paths?’

Zhu Ju was puzzled, but Bao Xin was clearly in no mood to elaborate. He paced away and returned to his room.

SWISH!

When there was no one around, Zhu Ju flicked his finger.

Streaks of Array Patterns appeared around him.

Cloud Mist Forbidden Technique!

A cloud of mist enveloped Zhu Ju’s figure. He sat cross-legged inside, holding the Jile Spirit House and silently channeling his Magical Power.

Time passed slowly.

The giant ship, concealed by its Array, sailed towards the edge of the Ten Thousand Mountains.

......

「Day after day passed.」

Then, one day,

a majestic mountain range appeared at the edge of his vision, like a city wall created by the Power of Heaven and Earth.

Where a gate in this wall would be,

stood the Ancient Northern Pass.

The giant ship would not go there.

The airspace for hundreds of miles around the Ancient Northern Pass was restricted. To reach the Dazhou Territory, the ship had to fly around it.

Looking at the mountain wall that connected heaven and earth, stretching endlessly from east to west, even the well-traveled Zhu Ju couldn’t help but marvel:

"The power of creation is truly beyond comprehension!"

Such magnificent power was something that even Dao Foundation, Golden Core, or the legendary Nascent Soul Cultivators could only admire, let alone those at the Innate realm.

CREAK...

As if an axle had malfunctioned, the smoothly flying ship suddenly lurched, followed by a series of grinding creaks.

"What’s going on?"

"What happened?"

"..."

The passengers on deck craned their necks to look outside, while those in their rooms rushed out.

CRACK!

’This is bad!’

Zhu Ju’s heart leaped. A sense of impending doom washed over him, and the skin and flesh all over his body tensed instinctively.

His body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Dao Foundation!"

Someone up ahead roared:

"A Demonic Dao Foundation Cultivator!"

SWOOSH!

Zhu Ju whipped his head around. No longer caring about exposing his Cultivation, he channeled Spiritual Light into his eyes and stared into the void.

There, standing unsupported in the air, was a man in black robes.

The man’s features were plain and his eyes were lifeless. With a single hand stretched out slightly, he held the massive ship in place, preventing it from moving another inch.

That was the source of the grinding noises.

A Dao Foundation Cultivator!

It was just one man, yet his terrifying aura pressed down on everyone aboard the ship, making it hard to breathe.

The Array enveloping the ship flickered before his palm, unable to push forward an inch no matter how much power it exerted.

In Zhu Ju’s perception, the man was like a blinding ball of black light, pulsing erratically.

Compared to him, the Demons of the Magic World seemed like toddlers, laughably naive.

BOOM!

With a single push from the man in black, a beam of black light pierced straight through the ship.

The ship shuddered violently, lost its balance, and burst into flames as it plummeted crookedly toward the mountains below.

"AHH!"

"Look out!"

"..."

BOOM!

A deafening boom echoed.

The Dao Foundation Cultivator above didn’t care about the crashing ship and had no intention of paying any mind to the passengers on board. Instead, he withdrew his gaze and looked towards the Ancient Northern Pass.

SHIING!

A beam of Sword Light shot up from the Ancient Northern Pass, heading straight for him.

"Mao Wu!" A furious roar accompanied the Sword Light.

"Die!"

"So you finally decided to show yourself." The black-robed Dao Foundation Cultivator, Mao Wu, gave a faint smile and charged toward the Sword Light.

"Back then I witnessed the Sword Dao masters of the Jade Void Sect. Today, I’ll see just how much of their True Inheritance the Bright Void Sect has obtained."

BOOM!

The collision between the two Dao Foundation Cultivators sent violent shockwaves through the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, causing hurricanes to spring up from the ground below.

Down below.

’What a senseless disaster!’

Zhu Ju looked up at the figures above, his face grim. Then, with a flicker of his body, he shot away into the distance.

’Mao Wu?’

’I’ll remember you!’

The Demonic Cultivator’s target was obviously not the Xiao Family’s giant ship, but to use it to lure out the Dao Foundation Cultivator from the Ancient Northern Pass.

The people on the ship had been caught in the crossfire.

The moment the giant ship fell, Zhu Ju used the residual power of the Flying Talisman on his body to fly out of the ship.

He didn’t dare draw attention to himself, however, so he flew close to the ground as he made his escape.

There were many survivors like him. After all, the ship hadn’t been flying too high, and most of the passengers were Cultivators.

Everyone scattered and fled for their lives.

SWISH!

SWISH! SWISH!

Zhu Ju didn’t know how far he ran. Only when the sounds of the Combat faded into the distance did he finally slow to a stop.

By now, the night was deep. The surroundings were lush and green. He still didn’t know where he was, but he thought he must be close to the mortal lands.

He found a suitable place, started a bonfire, and skillfully roasted some meat.

「Before long.」

RUSTLE RUSTLE...

A strange sound came from behind.

"Junior Brother Zhu, there you are! I’ve been looking all over for you." Bao Xin emerged from the woods with several others, panting as he sat down on a rock.

"Thank goodness you’re all right. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t know how to face Brother Shen."

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother," Zhu Ju said, glancing at the others.

"And these are...?"

"My friends," Bao Xin waved his hand.

"Don’t mind them."

"Smells good," one of them sniffed and approached with a smile.

"Since you’re a friend of Brother Bao, then you’re our friend. You wouldn’t mind sharing a piece, would you?"

"Of course," Zhu Ju gestured with his hand.

"Help yourself."

The man chuckled and reached for the skewer of roasted meat. But before his fingers could close around it, a flash of blade light lit up before his eyes.

SWISH!

SQUELCH!

SQUELCH! SQUELCH!

Flesh and blood flew everywhere.

The blade light spun like a disk, instantly sweeping across the clearing. In a flash, several figures were sliced in half by the vicious attack.

"Junior Brother Zhu!" Bao Xin roared.

"What are you doing?"