The Divine Mansion Sect was buffeted by storms from without.

The Soul-Chasing Tower and the Celestial Heart Sect showed faint signs of joining forces. But the Divine Mansion Sect, having been rooted in Huanglong Prefecture for a thousand years, possessed a profound foundation. Even if both came at it together, it had no fear.

The Divine Mansion Sect decided to strike back.

Murong Tian, who had not made a move in over a decade, finally descended the mountain.

He and Dong Wanjun headed north and south respectively, vowing to eradicate the remnants of the Soul-Chasing Tower and the Celestial Heart Sect, two branches of the Demon Sect.

The two waged a fierce war against the Demon Sect’s experts in the world outside.

Yet, disciples of the Divine Mansion Sect continued to die every day. The assassins of the Soul-Chasing Tower were a force that made all of Xuan Yang tremble; they were impossible to guard against, and for a time, panic swept through the sect.

In the courtyard beside Wan Jun Hall, however, things were different.

Bai Yuan leaned back alone on a reclining chair, leisurely and at ease, completely unaffected by the outside world.

The Divine Mansion Sect disciples who had been killed were almost all those who couldn’t restrain themselves and left the mountain to carry out missions, only to die in the process.

Humans die for wealth, and birds die for food.

The same was true for Martial Artists. Their expenses were enormous. Once their income of merit points dried up, they were like children cut off from their mother’s milk—a fate worse than death.

Therefore, even knowing the danger, quite a few Divine Mansion Sect disciples still risked going down the mountain.

But not everyone had a wealthy family background like Li Zhu.

Recently, those who died under the Soul-Chasing Tower’s assassinations were basically Martial Artists from ordinary families, or those who were not highly regarded.

The prodigies of the great families had long been placed under heavy protection, giving the Soul-Chasing Tower no chance to act.

Aside from the few family geniuses who were killed at the very beginning, most of those who died later were of common birth.

In this world, a powerful background could indeed solve ninety percent of one’s problems.

"Young Master, these are freshly delivered grapes. Please have a taste."

Liu Qing popped a verdant grape into Bai Yuan’s mouth.

’The life of a decadent ruler is truly wonderful.’

Bai Yuan suddenly felt a sense of kinship with that old ruler from his past life who was too content in enemy lands to think of home.

He waved his hand, dispersing the fragrant scent in the room.

Liu Qing came from a prominent family in Rouge County, so the scent of rouge on her was particularly captivating.

As night deepened, Bai Yuan said, "You two may return to your rooms."

He had no intention of letting the two women warm his bed just yet. He didn’t want to get involved in any unnecessary trouble—it simply wasn’t worth it.

Liu Qing and Jiang Fei slowly closed the door.

The resentful looks in their eyes could not be concealed.

After the two women left, Bai Yuan finally sat up from the bed. He expertly changed into a black robe, slipped into a secret passage, and silently left Wan Jun Peak.

With his Master-level Night Wanderer Step and Divine Ingenuity, it was impossible for not just Liu Qing and Jiang Fei, but even You Shengnan and Xiongshan to detect him.

Before long, he appeared outside the Divine Mansion Sect.

That’s right, he had dug this secret passage for a full five li, leading directly from Wan Jun Peak to Huanglong Prefecture City.

Soon, he arrived before a residence in the North City.

There was a saying that had long circulated in Huanglong Prefecture: "Officials in the east, merchants in the west, and the south is dirt-poor."

As for the North City, it was naturally home to people of middling status.

Like Li Kang, for instance...

Although Li Kang was a Ten-Household leader in the Demon Slayer Guard, a decent position that allowed him a comfortable life, he was still a far cry from the high-ranking officials and nobles. Most people like him lived in the North City.

"Younger Brother Bai, you’re here."

Seeing the uninvited Bai Yuan, Li Kang showed no surprise.

Bai Yuan had sent him a letter long ago, informing him that he would be coming.

"Brother Li, thank you for your trouble."

Bai Yuan cupped his fist.

The reason he had come to find Li Kang was for the intelligence he had on demons.

That’s right, he planned to return to his old trade.

To continue being a Hunter.

Only this time, his prey would no longer be wild beasts, but demons.

This was now the best way for him to farm Enhancement Points. With the Ten Thousand Demons Painting gifted by Zhou Siming, he could suppress ninety percent of the demons in the Huanglong Prefecture region.

With such a powerful monster-farming tool, he naturally had to make good use of it.

Li Kang handed Bai Yuan a booklet.

The booklet looked brand new, and the ink had not yet fully set, clearly having been transcribed just recently.

"These are all the leads on demons that the Demon Slayer Guard has received recently."

Li Kang gave a hearty laugh and handed the booklet to Bai Yuan.

In doing so, he wasn’t exactly breaking the rules. Bai Yuan was a member of the Divine Mansion Sect; even if Li Kang didn’t tell him, Bai Yuan could just go to the Merit Hall and pick out a mission himself. Li Kang had merely transcribed and summarized the information. He wouldn’t be afraid even if someone reported him to the Lord of Thousand Households.

"Younger Brother Bai, impressive skills." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

He gave Bai Yuan a thumbs-up.

Because of the Earth List, the fact that Bai Yuan was gravely injured and bedridden was no longer a secret.

Just when everyone thought a True Disciple of the Divine Mansion Sect had fallen, the man himself unexpectedly appeared here, alive and well.

With Li Kang’s intelligence, and considering the recent events between the Demon Sect and the Divine Mansion Sect, it wasn’t hard for him to guess that Bai Yuan was deliberately feigning his illness.

He couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. ’This Younger Brother Bai took a palm strike from an Inner Force expert and is acting as if nothing happened. He’s truly something else.’

"Thank you."

Bai Yuan took the booklet with a slight smile, offering no further explanation.

Right now, he only wanted to hunt.

’As long as I have enough Enhancement Points, I’ll chop down any Demon Sect expert and turn them all into more points.’

As for Li Kang... he wasn’t worried about him leaking the secret.

Li Kang’s status was that of a Demon Slayer Guard, while his was a True Disciple of the Divine Mansion Sect. This point alone was enough of a guarantee.

Sometimes, status and interests are more reliable than personal relationships.

Li Kang was not a muddle-headed person; he understood the stakes.

...

「37th year of Xuan Yang Yuan Ding.」

The remnants of the Demon Sect resurfaced, launching a massive invasion south into the Xuan Yang Northern Territory.

For a time, the entire Court was in an uproar.

The Xuan Yang Garrison Army joined forces with the Northern Sects to resist the Demon Sect’s southward advance. Bodies littered the battlefields, and the fighting was brutal.

The Demon Sect’s power gradually emerged from the shadows, and the Soul-Chasing Tower and Celestial Heart Sect grew increasingly brazen.

The Divine Mansion Sect was already locked in a bitter struggle with these two major powers. Influenced by the war in the Northern Territory, both sides no longer held back.

The Xuan Yang Court, already imposing heavy corvée labor, increased the burden yet again.

The common people suffered immensely.

Ling Province was located in the southernmost part of the Northern Territory, so it was not yet affected by the Demon Sect war.

Disciples of the Divine Mansion Sect were all exempt from corvée labor, so they remained unaffected for the time being.

However, the war with the Soul-Chasing Tower and the Celestial Heart Sect grew more intense by the day. The fighting was no longer limited to the Divine Mansion Army; nearly seventy percent of the sect’s disciples had already joined the army’s war efforts.

Among them were even two True Disciples.

Bai Yuan, of course, was not one of them.

Thirty li south of the Divine Mansion Sect, deep within the mountains.

In a dense forest that stretched for a thousand li, a thicket of thorns was suddenly split open by a sharp, long saber.

A sturdy and well-built youth emerged from the jungle.

It was Bai Yuan, returning from a Demon Hunt.

"My luck is pretty good."

He glanced at the large head hanging from his waist.

The head resembled a monkey’s but wasn’t quite one. It had a lotus pod-like growth on top, and a single, enormous eye was particularly striking.

As a Demon Hunter, he naturally knew what it was: a Mountain Child.

It was a unique monster born from the mountain forests, hyperactive in nature, fond of playing tricks on nearby mountain folk, and extremely difficult to deal with due to its great strength and thick hide.

The Ten Thousand Demons Painting that Zhou Siming had given Bai Yuan happened to include the Mountain Child.

Thus, this fifth-rank Mountain Child was completely suppressed by him.

He had only searched the mountain forest for a single day before felling the Mountain Child with his saber.

As for his saber, it was no longer the scimitar passed down by the Black-faced Ancestor Master.

He had taken the Blood Tiger Scimitar and the piece of Celestial Meteorite Iron gifted to him by Murong Tian to the Divine Weapon Hall on the main peak. After spending all his accumulated merit points, he had this long saber forged.

This long saber was not quite like those of other Swordsmen.

The hilt was longer and the blade was thicker, resembling the Horse-Cutting Sabers from his past life.

Whether it was the Blood Tiger Saber, Tiger-Crane Form, or Woodcutter’s Saber, they all followed a path of pure power. It was less like cutting and more like smashing.

A long hilt was better for a two-handed grip, allowing him to unleash his killing power to the absolute maximum.

The blade was thick, so even if the edge were to be chipped or broken, the saber’s power would not be affected.

In short, this was a saber well-suited for chopping people up.

Just like with the Mountain Child’s head at his waist, he had used only a single strike.

A Mountain Child’s brain was a great restorative tonic, which was why Bai Yuan had roasted the other parts into jerky and only taken the head.

Processed by his Legendary-level cooking skill, the effects were bound to be doubled.

Late at night, Bai Yuan came to a patch of grass on the outskirts of Huanglong Prefecture City. He bent down, grabbed hold of something, and pulled upward. A pitch-black secret passage appeared before his eyes.

He jumped into the secret passage, and the entrance closed automatically, leaving no trace of its existence.

Before long, he was back in his courtyard on Wan Jun Peak.

Bai Yuan had just laid down when a knock came from the door.

"Young Master, would you like me to help you bathe and change?"

"No need."

Outside, Liu Qing heard Bai Yuan’s words from within and sighed softly in her heart.

Women like her and Jiang Fei, despite being born into relative wealth, actually led a miserable existence. If they couldn’t attach themselves to a True Disciple of the Divine Mansion Sect, they were truly no different from servant girls.

She and Jiang Fei had been serving Bai Yuan for several months now.

But this newly promoted True Disciple of the Divine Mansion Sect spent most of his time behind closed doors, his figure never seen.

’Could the Young Master’s injuries be even more severe than the rumors say?’

Liu Qing thought to herself.

It was no longer a secret in the Divine Mansion Sect that Bai Yuan was severely injured. As people who lived in Bai Yuan’s own courtyard, she and Jiang Fei were clearer on this than anyone.

They had originally thought Bai Yuan could return to his peak, but now, it seemed the situation was not optimistic.

Liu Qing sighed inwardly.

’Not the right man...’

Despite thinking this, she did not have the slightest thought of betraying Bai Yuan.

Even if Bai Yuan truly became a cripple, he was still a True Disciple of the Divine Mansion Sect. She could not afford to do anything out of line. Otherwise, even if the Law Enforcement Hall didn’t pursue the matter, her own family would never tolerate her.

Most women in this world had already learned to accept their fate.

’It was all fate, beyond one’s control.’

Inside the room.

Knowledge on how to process the Mountain Child surfaced in Bai Yuan’s mind on its own. He expertly prepared the Mountain Child’s head.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a bowl of Earth Spirit Brain Flower Soup was ready.

’This is a great tonic.’

Bai Yuan picked up the large bowl and began to eat heartily.

This brain was far more delicious than pig brain. Not only was there no fishy taste, but it also had a wonderfully subtle, natural fragrance that made one want to eat more.

After downing the bowl of brain, Bai Yuan felt his Qi and Blood surge throughout his body, and the inner force within him grew even more profound.

After finishing the brain soup, he lay back contentedly on his bed and looked at his panel.

[Name: Bai Yuan]

[Class: Demon Hunter, Ghostwriter, Boxer, Spirit Cooker]

[Skills: Three Axes of the Woodcutter (Master), Leader’s Leg (Adept), Night Wanderer Step (Master), Divine Ingenuity (Master), Hundred Poison Hand (Master), Tiger-Crane Form (Master), Blood Tiger Saber (Master)...]

[Enhancement Points: 1123]

He had accumulated a good number of Enhancement Points from killing demons during this time.

He had also raised Three Axes of the Woodcutter to the Master level in one go, and at the same time, Leader’s Leg had been raised to the Adept level.

Even though his saber arts had not yet reached the Legendary level, his strength was already terrifyingly high.

He was now even stronger than Dong Wanjun had been back in his prime.

The time to break through had finally arrived.

"Add points!"