Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

"Thank you, Lord Ye."

Li Yuan hurriedly clasped his hands in greeting, quickly walked out of the Demon Suppression Bureau, ran to the street to buy a pot of fine bamboo leaf green tea, and cut two catties of braised beef before excitedly heading to the Divine Martial Academy.

In autumn, the mountains behind the village are ablaze with color, the red leaves like fire.

Mr. Mo's courtyard remained quiet and peaceful, with half-withered vines climbing the bamboo fence and a thin layer of yellow leaves covering the ground.

Mr. Mo lay on a bamboo chair in the courtyard, eyes closed, leisurely basking in the sun, looking exactly the same as he had a few months ago.

Li Yuan pushed open the bamboo fence gate, walked straight to Mr. Mo, placed the wine and beef on the stone table, and bowed respectfully: "Sir, I'm back."

Mr. Mo slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Li Yuan before revealing a smile: "Late stage of Core Formation? Not bad, looks like you didn't slack off while I was away."

"Of course." Li Yuan sat down on the stone bench opposite him, opened the wine jar, and poured a cup for Mr. Mo. "I was personally taught by you, so naturally I am extraordinary."

Li Yuan chuckled jokingly, "By the way, what exactly happened to you after you came out of seclusion?"

It is no ordinary person to be able to keep Mr. Mo trapped for so many days.

"It's that old monkey, White Ape, again. He's like a persistent ghost." Mr. Mo picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and smacked his lips. "He's joined forces with the Azure Lotus Demon Saint and the Profound Ice Demon Emperor, trying to use the Thirty-Three Heavens Map to try and keep this old man here."

He chuckled dismissively, "Too bad they miscalculated. I'm not going to let that happen. This time I'll beat that old monkey to a pulp! Haha!"

Mr. Mo spoke casually, but Li Yuan knew that breaking through the map under the siege of three powerful demon saints was by no means as easy as he made it sound.

He didn't ask for details, but poured Mr. Mo another glass of wine.

"Sir, what's the situation at the border?"

"The situation is under control." Mr. Mo put down his wine glass. "With Old Man Yuchi and Chu Jinghong in charge, the demon race dares not launch a large-scale attack anymore. They can only harass in small groups. The situation is basically out of danger."

"But there aren't enough cultivators, and the border is too long, so the people always live in fear."

Li Yuan clenched his fist. The demon race abducted people, and each attack resulted in more than a dozen bloody deaths: "Sir, I want to go to the border."

Mr. Mo glanced at him indifferently: "His Majesty will not let you go."

Li Yuan was speechless. Of course he knew, but he just felt frustrated.

"By the way, before you came back, did you see Brother Chen Shuo? He was sent as an envoy to the Demon Court. I wonder how he is doing?" Li Yuan was most worried about Chen Shuo.

"I was just about to tell you this," Mr. Mo laughed. "The Demon Emperor has gone into seclusion for ten years, and the Demon Court is currently being jointly managed by the three Demon Emperors: Xuanbing, Qinglin, and Zhuyan."

"The Demon Emperor went into seclusion? When did that happen?" Li Yuan was taken aback.

"It's been a while. Not long after you left, he suddenly issued an order to go into seclusion."

Li Yuan frowned: "So, it wasn't the Demon Emperor who ordered the attack on Suspended Pass back then?"

"Yes, it should be Zhu Yan. This guy is ruthless and cruel, and has always been warlike." Mr. Mo nodded.

"Wouldn't Brother Chen have made a wasted trip?"

"Not necessarily. Xuanbing doesn't get involved in things, but Qinglin has always been a peacemaker, so everything is uncertain."

Unexpectedly, the situation changed so quickly. Li Yuan remained silent, feeling that the Demon Emperor's actions were somewhat strange. The timing of his seclusion was too coincidental. Could it be intentional?

"It seems that the war between the Tang Dynasty and the Demon Court will be difficult to quell anytime soon," Li Yuan sighed.

"The world is about to descend into chaos, Li Yuan. Your most important task right now is to improve your cultivation and accumulate strength. If the people of the world need you in the future, you will be required to stand up and protect the peace of all living beings."

"Yes."

Li Yuan nodded heavily, and the two chatted for a full two hours. He also told Mr. Mo in detail about the changes in the Myriad Realms Palace.

"This is an incredible opportunity, but also a responsibility. Whether you can make it to the end depends on your own destiny."

Mr. Mo's expression was solemn. "Never mention it again, no matter when. I suspect that the origin of this Myriad Realms Palace is related to the Holy Land of the Demon Clan."

"I will follow your teachings."

Li Yuan nodded and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

It wasn't until late at night that Li Yuan took his leave. As soon as he returned to the Demon Suppression Division, he saw Ji Fanghua standing under the corridor, seemingly waiting for him.

"Senior Brother Li, Master wants you to go there immediately?"

The fact that someone was specially sent to invite him so late at night made Li Yuan guess that something serious had happened: "Has something happened?"

"I don't know either."

Ji Fanghua shook his head. When he entered the hall, he found that Han Kuo was also there. Just as he was about to greet him, Ye Hongyu waved for him to sit down.

"A case has occurred in Jiangnan, and the branch office has requested assistance from the capital, specifically requesting your assistance."

"I?"

Li Yuan was somewhat surprised. What kind of case required his involvement? He knew that in terms of experience, seniority, or cultivation, he wasn't considered top-tier in the Demon Suppression Division.

"Yes, the incident occurred at Taixu Academy." Ye Hongyu handed over a file. "Leng Ningshuang has gone missing."

"What?"

Li Yuan suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with shock: "Leng Ning Shuang has disappeared?"

Leng Ningshuang is the chief disciple of Taixu Academy, a genius with an eighth-level ice-type talent. She once shone brightly in the Four Academies League and had met Li Yuan several times.

He hurriedly opened the file and quickly browsed through it. The file recorded that Leng Ningshuang led a team to the Bachu area half a month ago and entered an ancient ruin, after which she lost contact with them.

"Taixu Academy has already sent people to search, but to no avail," Ye Hongyu said. "They have sent a request for assistance to the Demon Suppression Division, and specifically requested that you go there."

"This matter involves the core disciples of Taixu Academy and cannot be taken lightly. You must set off immediately. Once you arrive in Jiangnan, make contact with the local branch office to obtain more information."

Li Yuan closed the file, took a deep breath, and said, "Understood. When do we depart?"

"We'll set off tonight," Ye Hongyu said. "I'll have Han Kuo assist you, and Fanghua can also go along for some experience."

"yes!"

Li Yuan, Ji Fanghua, and Han Kuo exchanged glances and clasped their hands in greeting.

That night, a group of nine riders left Chang'an City overnight, traveling day and night along the official road all the way south.

The group changed horses but not people along the way, and arrived at Taixu Academy in Tanzhou, Jiangnan West Road in less than five days.

Taixu Academy is nestled among rolling green hills. Unlike the majestic and grand Shenwu Academy, it is quiet and elegant, with pavilions and towers hidden among the pines and cypresses, like a traditional Chinese ink painting.

The person who came forward to receive them was Lei Lie, the former captain of the Taixu Squad.

He looked much more haggard after a year apart, with worry in his eyes. When he saw Li Yuan, he forced a smile and cupped his hands in greeting: "Brother Li, you must be tired from your journey."

"Brother Lei, you're too kind." Li Yuan dismounted and went straight to the point, asking, "How is Senior Sister Leng doing?"

Lei Lie nodded and led everyone into the academy, recounting the events in detail as he went.

"About a month ago, someone discovered a secret realm that appeared to be an ancient ruin in the Cangwu Mountains. After receiving the news, Taixu Academy sent Senior Sister Leng to lead a team to explore it. The team consisted of seven people, all of whom were elite disciples of the academy."