「The Magic World.」

Zhu Ju’s figure materialized out of thin air not far from the Sword Sect.

His face was pale, and his wrist trembled uncontrollably. It took a long while before he returned to normal.

’An Innate expert who has mastered Breaking Nine Acupoints, and the Black Death Mysterious Skill... he’s actually this difficult to deal with?’

Taking a deep breath, Zhu Ju’s expression turned grave.

He had already used every trick up his sleeve, yet he still couldn’t succeed. The power gap between them was simply too vast.

If his opponent hadn’t been toying with him, it was uncertain whether he could have escaped with his life.

If this continued, death would be inevitable!

This time, he had been forced to flee into the Magic World. Although he had crossed over while deep underground, it was likely that his secret had been partially discovered.

If Fan Ren was waiting for him on the other side...

’I can only stay in the Magic World for a month at most. Once I return, I’ll still have to face his pursuit.’

’Even worse...’

’If the secret I carry is exposed, it could attract the covetous eyes of Dao Foundation Cultivators. The consequences would be endless!’

What should he do?

An unprecedented sense of crisis weighed down on him, sending Zhu Ju’s thoughts racing. He immediately flashed towards the Sword Sect’s residence.

"Sect Leader!"

"Sect Leader..."

Along the way, Sword Sect disciples bowed respectfully.

"Contact the Wuk Family. I need a Sumeru Stone." Zhu Ju summoned Kan Feichen and said in a solemn voice,

"If I get a Sumeru Stone, I will help the Wuk Family deal with the Demon Exorcism Hall!"

?

Kan Feichen’s face showed his surprise, but he still nodded heavily.

"Yes."

With the Sumeru Stone, all the materials needed for the Dust Banner would be gathered. Once refined, it would grant the ability to fly through the sky and travel underground.

With it, he would have a chance of escape even when facing Fan Ren.

But it was only a chance of escape.

If Fan Ren possessed a method to counter it or a similar magical artifact, death would still be the final outcome.

Zhu Ju shut his eyes, his thoughts in turmoil.

「Soon.」

Wuk Xian, who had been stationed at the Sword Sect, hurried over.

The Wuk Family didn’t have a Sumeru Stone either, but they did possess a magical artifact that had been refined using one. It could be smelted down to extract the material.

In this regard, the Sword Sect’s Fire Separation Hall were the experts.

"Sect Leader Zhu!"

Wuk Xian’s face was ecstatic as he cupped his hands.

"The world has long suffered under the Demon Exorcism Hall. That Brother Zhu is willing to take action against them is a blessing for all."

"Enough with the pleasantries." Zhu Ju looked him straight in the eye. "What do you need me to do?"

"...Brother Zhu is straightforward!" Wuk Xian’s expression shifted slightly before he spoke seriously, "Besides the Hall Master, the Divine Eagle King, and the two Vice Hall Masters, the Demon Exorcism Hall’s Meat Market Master and Demon Workshop Master are also Second Decline True Men."

"Brother Zhu can choose one of them."

"You don’t need to kill them. As long as Brother Zhu and the Sword Sect disciples can tie down one Second Decline True Man, the Wuk Family will be eternally grateful. Of course, it would be best if you could severely wound or even kill them."

The Vice Hall Master, the Meat Market Master, or the Demon Workshop Master.

If he had enough strength, choosing the Demon Workshop as a target would be ideal.

As the largest marketplace in Tianzui City, the Demon Workshop held incalculable wealth and resources.

If he succeeded, he could easily plunder millions of Spirit Jades.

Of course, the Demon Workshop was heavily guarded and filled with powerful experts, including many Demon True Men serving as guards. It was also the most dangerous target.

After a moment of thought, Zhu Ju asked,

"Who is the Meat Market Master?"

Compared to the Demon Workshop, he was more inclined toward the Meat Market. Besides, the Meat Market might have something he needed.

"Pig Demon Shiwu!" Wuk Xian said.

"This demon is cruel by nature and loves to eat human flesh, especially that of young girls and children. He claims their meat is the most tender and delicious. He devours one person every day, and for banquets or festivals, he hosts grand human-flesh feasts for his guests."

"At his worst, this demon took hundreds of lives for a single meal, cooking their flesh into soup. He must be killed!"

Wuk Xian had not yet advanced to the True Man realm, and his humanity hadn’t faded. At the mention of Pig Demon Shiwu, he couldn’t hide the dense killing intent on his face.

"Brother Zhu."

"Here is the information on that pig demon."

The Wuk Family and the Demon Exorcism Hall had been rivals within the Demon Catcher organization for many years, so they naturally knew a great deal about their opponents.

He immediately presented a detailed file.

The file contained information on the methods and techniques practiced by Pig Demon Shiwu, the weapons he used, and his various common tactics.

It even included methods to counter and target him.

This was clearly information that couldn’t have been gathered in just a day or two.

Zhu Ju skimmed through it and casually set it aside.

"When do we make our move?"

"Well..." Wuk Xian hesitated. "It hasn’t been decided yet."

"Within one month!" Zhu Ju declared. "Can you do it or not?"

"We can!" Wuk Xian narrowed his eyes. "Within one month, the Wuk Family will definitely move against the Demon Exorcism Hall. At that time, when the Sword Sect disciples attack the Meat Market, our Wuk Family will also send people to assist."

"Good!" Zhu Ju took a deep breath. "I have one more request. If the Wuk Family agrees, I will personally take the life of that Pig Demon Shiwu from the Meat Market."

"What is it?" Wuk Xian looked up.

"The experience of the Wuk Family’s Great Mages in breaking through to the True Man realm." Zhu Ju said. "All written records related to it!"

*

*

*

BOOM!

A ball of fierce flame blazed to life.

The Magic World also had methods for refining magical artifacts using Earth Evil True Flame, but it wasn’t an essential requirement.

At the Fire Separation Hall’s residence, there was a furnace connected to the earth’s fire.

Only such flames could smelt certain materials.

Zhu Ju sat cross-legged not far away, his features flickering indeterminately in the light of the dancing Earth Evil True Flame.

SWISH!

With a lift of his hand, a refining material merged into the fierce flame.

CRACKLE... POP...

A crisp sound like firecrackers exploding rang out, and a seven-colored glow burst forth from the crimson flames, pulsing and flashing.

As the impurities within the material were burned away, the crackling sound faded.

Composing himself, Zhu Ju took out the Star Sand, which shimmered like a galaxy and flowed like a ribbon of silk.

"Go!"

Holding his breath and concentrating, he tossed it with a wave of his hand. The Star Sand plunged into the furnace, actually causing the Earth Evil True Flame to sink lower.

’As expected of a material that can be used to refine Magical Treasures.’

「After a long time.」

Under the continuous burning of the Earth Evil True Flame, the Star Sand gradually began to change, slowly merging with another object inside.

The Sumeru Stone!

The Thousand-Year Celestial Silk!

...

Zhu Ju sat cross-legged on a rock, tossing out one refining material after another in the proper sequence for artifact refinement.

His hands formed seal techniques as he drove streams of True Qi into the flames.

Time passed.

The various materials burning in the Earth Evil True Flame gradually took shape, and their rich spirituality began to stabilize.

The refinement methods of two worlds merged in Zhu Ju’s hands.

Until...

BOOM!

The furnace erupted in scorching flames. The Earth Evil True Flame shot several dozen feet into the air, and an object let out a clear, pleasant hum.

It was as if it were cheering for its own birth.

SWISH!

Zhu Ju beckoned.

A long banner, about ten feet tall, leaped out of the furnace and landed before him, hovering and bobbing in mid-air.

The Dust Banner!

A High Grade Spiritual Artifact!

It had an unremarkable, earth-colored pole and a banner face covered in complex patterns, which spun around him like a living creature.

It didn’t look particularly outstanding.

But its spirituality was immense, far surpassing that of the Demon-slaying Sword belonging to Xiaoo Meng, the Hall Master of the Mountain-Shattering Hall.

The newly refined Dust Banner’s surface was still radiating intense heat, but Zhu Ju reached out and grabbed it directly.

He paid no mind to the high temperature on its surface.

WHOOSH...

As True Qi poured into it, the long banner’s face shook violently, and a cloud of yellowish qi descended from above.

「In the blink of an eye.」

Zhu Ju was enveloped by the qi that the Dust Banner had transformed into.

With a thought, his body seemed to break free from the pull of Primordial Magnetic Power and lift off the ground, moving rapidly around the small room.

In a flash, he merged into the mountain rock.

At this moment, the rock and soil were like a soft current of water, and Zhu Ju, transformed into a swimming fish, moved through the earth.

Flying through the sky and burrowing through the earth!

SWISH!

「More than ten li from the Fire Separation Hall.」

A streak of yellow light shot out from underground, soaring a thousand feet into the sky. It then made a sharp turn mid-air and headed straight for a nearby mountain peak.

SWISH!

Zhu Ju, holding the long banner, landed on the summit.

He gently shook the long banner in his hand, and the ten-foot-long banner shrank and transformed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It continued until it was the size of his palm.

Zhu Ju pondered for a moment, then wrapped the Dust Banner in a wisp of True Qi from his palm.

The Dust Banner trembled slightly and dissolved into thousands of halos of light, flowing like an illusion along his meridians and into his dantian.

All High Grade Spiritual Artifacts could be stored in the dantian to be nurtured.

It was true in the Main World.

And it was true in this world as well!

The only difference was that True Men in this world could store their magical artifacts in their Forehead Ancestral Acupoint, while in the Main World, they were housed in the dantian.

With another thought, the Dust Banner floating in his dantian immediately released a burst of yellowish qi that enveloped Zhu Ju in an instant.

SWISH!

His figure soared into the air, his speed thirty percent faster than before. A single flicker covered a distance of a hundred feet.

He could cross a hundred meters in the time it took to breathe.

’My Dust Banner is a top-tier item even among High Grade Spiritual Artifacts. In terms of flying escape abilities, it’s likely not inferior to some Top-Grade Spiritual Artifacts.’

’Refined with my own heart’s blood, its power is even greater.’

’Its only weakness is its poor defensive power. A powerful attack could disrupt its operation.’

Revealing himself once more, a smile finally appeared on Zhu Ju’s face.

With this item, when he returned to the Main World, he would have some ability to protect himself even if hunted by Fan Ren. He would no longer be a sitting duck.

Unfortunately, it was only a hope of self-preservation.

"Come out!"

Turning around, Zhu Ju looked toward the dense forest nearby and spoke slowly, "You’ve been watching for a long time. Shouldn’t you have seen enough?"

RUSTLE...

The leaves rustled, and a figure walked out from within.

CLAP!

CLAP! CLAP!

The newcomer was a middle-aged man, handsome with a few streaks of white at his temples. He clapped his hands lightly and praised, "Sect Leader, your methods are incredible. To think you could refine the Dust Banner without relying on a Treasure Visualization Technique. I am impressed!"

"The Plum Blossom Sword Saint, Yun Wuya?" Zhu Ju narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the man. "You actually dare to appear before me."

The man was a traitor to the Sword Sect. Any member of the sect was permitted to use any means necessary to kill him on sight for revenge.

Of course, with Yun Wuya’s strength, which was comparable to a Second Decline True Man, even if Sword Sect disciples encountered him, they would be no match for him.

But Zhu Ju was different. Even if the man had mastered the Sword Light Division technique, he was still very confident he could kill him. Moreover, there was something off about the man’s aura.

"The Sect Leader’s strength is extraordinary. I am no match for you," Yun Wuya said, cupping his hands. "However, if I am determined to leave, I’m afraid the Sect Leader might not be able to stop me."

"Not necessarily," Zhu Ju replied, his expression unchanged. "Why don’t we put it to the test?"

"Well..." Yun Wuya gave a wry smile. "Sect Leader, I have not come with malicious intent. There were other reasons for what happened back then. It’s not that I am bloodthirsty."

"Save those words for the people who died by your hand." Zhu Ju scrutinized him, then suddenly said, "A while ago, were you near the Spider Cave?"

"Yes." Yun Wuya nodded. "As expected, I can’t hide anything from the Sect Leader."

"I happened to learn that someone intended to harm the Sect Leader and his companions, so I wanted to see if I could be of any help. It was then that I witnessed the Sect Leader’s mighty display of power."

"..." Zhu Ju’s eyes glowed with spiritual light as he spoke slowly, "You’re not quite like the descriptions I’ve heard from others. Could it be that you’ve changed your ways because you know your time is short?"

Yun Wuya’s expression stiffened slightly.

「After a long moment.」

He finally sighed helplessly.

"The Sect Leader’s Dharma Eye is sharp indeed. I once believed that as long as my sword was not broken, there was nothing in this world I couldn’t handle."

"Heh..."

"But I never realized that the will of heaven is supreme, and human strength is limited."

Yun Wuya was Jiang Qiu’s junior martial brother. Among the four Hall Masters of the Sword Sect, he was only older than Xiaoo Meng.

At his age, he shouldn’t look so haggard.

At first glance, he looked ten years older than even Jiang Qiu.

"Speak." Zhu Ju interrupted his sentimental speech. "You came to me for a reason."

"Indeed, I have a favor to ask." Yun Wuya waved toward the dense forest behind him. "Nan’er, come and pay your respects to the Sect Leader!"

The leaves rustled.

A young girl, just over ten years old, timidly walked out and knelt beside Yun Wuya, kowtowing to Zhu Ju.

"Greetings, Sect Leader."

"This is my daughter." Looking at his daughter, Yun Wuya’s eyes filled with kindness and reluctance as he said slowly, "I hope she can enter your tutelage, Sect Leader, and become a disciple of the Sword Sect."

"Oh?" Zhu Ju stroked his chin. "You are a traitor to the Sword Sect who betrayed the sect and fled. Why would you want to send your daughter back?"

"Setting aside the fact that I have no reason to accept her, even if I did, how would the other Sword Sect disciples treat her if they found out she was your daughter?"

"Sect Leader." Yun Wuya looked up. "Besides you and I, no one in this world knows I have a daughter. My daughter has taken her mother’s surname and is called Xue Nan."

"As long as the Sect Leader says nothing, no one will know her identity."

"As for why you should accept her..."

"I’ve heard that the Sect Leader has already promised the Wuk Family to move against the Demon Exorcism Hall. I am willing to lend a hand. Over the years, I have also made some ’friends’ who will also take action at that time, fighting alongside the Sword Sect."

Hm?

Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow.

Yun Wuya was a Treasure Artifact True Man who had mastered ’Sword Light Division’. His strength was no less than that of a Second Decline Demon.

If he could help, that would be for the best!