Night fell.

The valley remained brightly lit.

On the surface, this was a secret outpost for an organization of Demon Catchers. In reality, it was the core of the Demon Exorcism Hall’s human trafficking operations.

Every day, deals involving as many as ten thousand people were conducted here.

If a Great Mage wanted to break through to become a True Man, they would have to slaughter an entire ’Meat Market’ to have enough.

And the Meat Markets of the Demon Exorcism Hall were scattered throughout every corner of the Magic World.

No one knew the exact number of Meat Markets.

Perhaps some unremarkable town, a place where people had lived for many years, was just a Meat Market waiting for the slaughter.

PFFT!

SHING! SHING!

Several faint, cold glints flickered on the mountainside as the hidden guards were swiftly eliminated.

Over a hundred Sword Sect disciples silently scaled the slope and peered down into the valley.

Shouts echoed endlessly from within the valley. A hundred burly men were paired up, brawling in an open area, while an even larger crowd of onlookers roared. Someone was loudly announcing odds, hawking bets to draw more people into the fray.

Dozens of stakes, each over ten meters tall, were planted around the outpost. Mangled, bloody corpses hung from them.

The thick, pungent stench of blood hung in the air, refusing to dissipate.

This didn’t look like an outpost for Demon Catchers. It was more like a den of bandits who burned, killed, and plundered, committing every evil imaginable.

To their senses, Qi Blood surged toward the heavens from within the valley. Divine Soul Powers intertwined, and terrifying energies lay coiled within, striking fear into their hearts.

As one of the Demon Exorcism Hall’s two main sources of income, the Meat Market, though not as profitable as the Demon Workshop, was still a vital and heavily fortified location.

"Sect Leader."

Kan Feichen, Hall Master of the Sharp Gold Hall, spoke in a low voice laced with worry.

"According to the intel from the Wuk Family, besides the Meat Market Master, Shiwu, there are at least seven other Demon True Men here."

"Two of them are just a single step away from the Second Decline Realm."

A force like that could easily destroy a major city, even one protected by a Demon True Man and a Top-Level Altar.

Few powers in the world could stand against it.

The Sword Sect,

was simply not enough to measure up!

"Mm," Zhu Ju said, his expression like ice.

"Are you afraid?"

"No." Kan Feichen clenched his jaw, his Red Gold Twin Swords thrumming with anticipation. "The Sect Leader saved my life. Whatever you command, I would walk through a mountain of blades or a sea of fire."

"But the disciples of the Sword Sect..."

He glanced back, his face filled with pity.

"The ones who came today are the elites of our sect. If they fall here, who knows how many years it will take for the Sword Sect to recover its strength."

The Sword Sect chose Zhu Ju as their Sect Leader, hoping he would lead them toward a brighter future, not to their doom.

"Senior Brother Kan." Standing at Zhu Ju’s side, Xiaoo Meng chuckled.

"Don’t worry. The Wuk Family is more afraid of failure than we are, so we aren’t the only ones taking action today."

"We have other help."

"That’s good." Kan Feichen sighed in relief.

"When will they act?"

"Soon." Zhu Ju looked up at the sky and murmured.

"They should be here by now."

"Ngh..."

"They’re here!"

Before he could finish, a sharp screech tore through the night sky, and an immense black shadow came flying over.

The shadow spread its wings, revealing a wingspan of several dozen meters. It was like a flying palace, soaring over the valley at an incredible speed.

WHOOSH...

A single beat of its wings stirred up a violent gale.

"It’s him!"

Jiang Qiu, the worldly Hall Master of the Talisman Hall, had eyes that suddenly lit up with recognition.

"The Demon Peng, Yun Tai!"

"It is said this demon has long been enemies with the Divine Eagle King, the Hall Master of the Demon Exorcism Hall. However, his power is far inferior to the Eagle King’s, so he’s been hiding in the mountains for the past few decades, too scared to show his face. The Wuk Family must have convinced him to come out."

BOOM!

A great roc rises with the wind, soaring ninety thousand leagues in a single day.

The Demon Peng let out a fierce cry, as if unleashing decades of pent-up frustration and rage, then powerfully swept its wings downward.

"ROAR!"

At that moment, its Demon Body—at the peak of the One Decline True Man realm—its Demonic Power from nearly two hundred years of Cultivation, and its potent Divine Soul Power all fused into one.

This terrifying power activated the demon’s Innate Divine Techniques, sketching countless Spiritual Pattern Arrays out of thin air. These Spiritual Patterns then drew upon the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, transforming it into wisps of fiery threads. Thousands of these threads finally coalesced into more than a hundred massive fireballs.

The entire, seemingly complex process was completed in a single instant.

BOOM!

RUMBLE!

Fireballs the size of houses rained down from the sky, exploding violently upon impact. In an instant, Fierce Flames engulfed the entire valley.

"As expected of a being who can contend with the Divine Eagle King. This demon’s power... is truly impressive."

Xiaoo Meng’s expression turned grim, and her Demon-slaying Sword began to hum.

"However, while its Demonic Power is immense, its strength is too dispersed. In the end, it’s still only in the One Decline True Man Realm and can’t suppress the stray thoughts inherent to a Demon Body."

Zhu Ju nodded slowly.

The Demon Peng’s display was certainly grand, but its power was too diffuse to pose a real threat to a true expert.

It was, however, quite suitable for clearing out cannon fodder.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Thick chains, each as wide as two adult hands clasped together, materialized in midair and clamped down hard on the Demon Peng.

The Magic Altar!

As a core outpost of the Demon Exorcism Hall, how could it possibly lack a Magic Altar?

"Demon Peng!"

Down below, an ox-headed demon wielding a giant axe roared.

"You actually dare to show your face! Since you’ve come, don’t even think about going back. Just lie down and die!"

"ARGH!" The Demon Peng struggled against its chains, bellowing in fury.

"What are you waiting for?! Move!"

THUD!

The ground below suddenly trembled.

Several giant Earthworm Demons, each a dozen meters long, smashed through the rocks and charged into the outpost. After swallowing a few people, they burrowed back into the earth.

The ground heaved and squirmed, and the Earth Vein Power was thrown into disarray.

"They’re destroying the Magic Altar!"

A spider demon appeared in the middle of the valley, spitting strands of silk that shot toward the ground.

But it was obviously too late.

Zhu Ju had agreed to help the Wuk Family on the condition that the Magic Altar here be destroyed. The Wuk Family had clearly planned this for a long time, striking at the altar’s critical point the moment they acted.

The Earth Vein!

With the Magic Altar shattered, the Demon Peng above was freed. It began to rain down clusters of Fierce Flames, bombarding the ground below.

Immediately after, one Demon True Man after another appeared, charging out with deafening roars and unleashing a bloody storm upon the valley.

"Sect Leader!"

Xiaoo Meng’s face was flushed, and her Demon-slaying Sword hummed softly.

"It’s our turn!"

"Not yet," Zhu Ju said, waving his hand.

"We wait."

’Still wait?’

Xiaoo Meng froze.

’Wait for what?’

BOOM!

Before she could figure it out, a roar erupted from the center of the valley.

A massive Pig Demon, as large as an elephant and standing on two legs, charged out of the swirling dust, brandishing a blade.

The long blade in its hand was a full nine meters in length. It roared, impaling an Earthworm Demon on the tip of its blade before shredding it to pieces.

A terrifying aura radiated from its body, so potent that it silenced the entire battlefield.

"Shiwu!"

"A Second Decline True Man!"

The faces of the Demon True Men brought by the Wuk Family all showed fear. Their eyes darted about, already showing signs of wanting to retreat.

One Decline and Second Decline. The difference in name was small, but the chasm in power was immense—not something that could be bridged by a few extra demons.

Only another of the same Realm could possibly hold him in check.

’What’s going on?’

’Didn’t the Wuk Family say they brought someone specifically to deal with Shiwu?’

’Why hasn’t that person made a move?’

WHOOSH...

Just then, a night breeze gently blew past, carrying with it a few flower petals and a faint, sweet fragrance.

The Pig Demon froze.

"Plum blossoms?"

Tssss...

A petal slid across its body, sharp as a razor, and carved a shallow gash into its Demon Body.

Blood welled up from the cut.

"ROAR!"

The Pig Demon’s eyes flew wide as it tilted its head back and roared at the sky.

"Yun Wuya!"

"Yun Wuya?" The expressions of the Sword Sect members changed drastically. Jiang Qiu even forgot to stay hidden and shot to his feet.

"What is he doing here?"

"He’s the help the Wuk Family brought, of course," Zhu Ju said, his body now enveloped in the Spiritual Light of the Dust Banner.

"Move out!"

It wasn’t just Yun Wuya. Three more Demon True Men suddenly appeared and launched an attack on the forces of the Demon Exorcism Hall.

These were clearly his ’friends’.

*

*

*

「At some point.」

Yun Wuya’s figure had appeared on the battlefield.

He was shrouded in a layer of Sword Gang, with plum blossom petals fluttering around him, giving him an air that was Extraordinary and Unworldly.

He formed a seal with one hand. The petals converged before him, forming a pink Flying Sword.

The color was gaudy at first glance, but the longer one looked, the more it seemed to exude a cold, ethereal feeling.

SWISH!

The Flying Sword flashed through the air, appearing before Pig Demon Shiwu.

Amid a phantasmagoria of blooming and fading plum blossoms, it clashed again and again with the giant blade in Shiwu’s hands.

DING...

CLANG!

"Yun Wuya," Shiwu bellowed as he swung his blade.

"You already offended the Celestial Capital Sect Leader! You’re a dead man walking, yet you still dare provoke the Demon Exorcism Hall?"

"I’m dead either way. Why not take someone with me?" Yun Wuya’s expression remained unchanged as he pressed his attack with Sword Control.

"Take me with you?" Shiwu sneered.

"I’m afraid you’re not capable enough!"

BOOM!

The ground beneath its feet suddenly shook as earth and stone shattered. Its massive body lunged forward.

While still in mid-air, it brought its giant blade down in an explosive slash.

The Sword Qi spanned dozens of meters, its astonishing might looking as if it could shatter a mountain.

SWISH!

The Flying Sword swept sideways.

The palm-sized Flying Sword looked as insignificant as an ant before the nine-meter blade, but it erupted in a blinding light.

An enormous plum blossom bloomed in midair, completely enveloping both the long blade and Pig Demon Shiwu.

Rampant Sword Qi erupted from within the blossom.

PFFT!

PFFT! PFFT!

Blood splattered, like the trembling stamens of a flower.

BOOM!

The Pig Demon was, after all, a demon who had lived for nearly two hundred years; its Demonic Power was far more abundant than Yun Wuya could match.

Relying on its pure Demonic Power, it managed to forcibly break free from the Flying Sword’s restraints, despite being covered in blood and wounds.

"Haha..."

"Plum Blossom Sword Saint!"

"You’re not all that great!"

Amidst its boisterous laughter, the Pig Demon stomped the ground and charged, bringing its blade down hard on Yun Wuya’s head.

Just as the blade was about to land, a five-colored halo of light appeared to block its path.

The Five Elements Ring!

CLANG...

The massive blade trembled violently.

The Five Elements Ring also emitted a strained whine as its Spiritual Light dimmed slightly.

At the same time, the Five-Pointed Flying Sword shot out like lightning, striking the Pig Demon relentlessly like a barrage of cannonballs infused with Giant Power.

CLANG...

CLANG!

Each strike forced the struggling Pig Demon to retreat a step.

Yun Wuya raised an eyebrow at the sight.

Treasure Artifact True Men were different from Demon True Men. Their lifespans were similar to those of mortals, which meant their Magical Power was not exceptionally strong.

Thus, when fighting demons, a Treasure Artifact True Man had to rely on the sharpness of their Magical Artifacts and the agility of their Sword Formulas, unable to withstand a direct assault.

Zhu Ju was clearly an exception.

Even having seen Zhu Ju fight before, Yun Wuya couldn’t help but marvel.

’Immense, overwhelming power!’

He had never thought those words would one day be used to describe a ’Swordsman’.

"Focus,"

Zhu Ju said, enveloped by the Dust Banner.

"I’ll trap it. You strike."

The Five-Pointed Flying Sword delivered a flurry of strikes, creating an opening for the Five Elements Ring to flash out, envelop the Pig Demon, and bind it in place.

"Now!"

VMMMM...

Yun Wuya’s eyes narrowed. His Flying Sword flared with power, and the single blade suddenly divided into three beams of Sword Light.

Sword Light Division!

In that instant, the attack was equivalent to four Second Decline True Men striking in unison.

No!

’Sword Light Division’ didn’t just multiply the attack; each resulting beam of Sword Light was even stronger than the original.

PFFT!

The Sword Light converged and twisted. The Pig Demon’s body froze as a thin red line appeared on its neck, rapidly widening.

THUD!

The massive pig’s head landed heavily on the ground.

"Pig Demon Shiwu is dead!" Zhu Ju kicked the severed head into the air and bellowed.

"All of you, surrender now!"

The battlefield fell silent.

Then, a wave of excited roars erupted from the attackers. The members of the Demon Exorcism Hall lost all will to fight and began to scatter and flee.

Zhu Ju’s gaze shifted, landing on a Mage dressed like a Scholar. Compared to everyone else, this man had a more academic air. He hadn’t fought at all, instead spending the entire battle cowering in a corner, trembling.

"You!"

"The Demon Exorcism Hall provides Meat Markets for others. Have you recorded the breakthroughs of Peak Great Mages into the True Man Realm?"

"Yes, yes we have," the man said, his eyes wide with terror as he nodded frantically.

"We’ve always kept records. We even wrote a book, the *Earth Element Seal Script*. The book is just back there."

Zhu Ju’s eyes lit up.