Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

He pointed to a location marked with a red circle on the map: "The situation in Xuefeng Mountain is much more serious than we previously anticipated."

The group was startled, exchanged glances, and remained silent, waiting for Liu Huang to continue.

"Xuefeng Mountain was an important battlefield during the last war between humans and demons. At that time, the human alliance sealed a demon emperor there, named Guanzhu Demon Emperor."

"Not many people know about this matter. The sealing was carried out in secret back then, and the relevant records were sealed afterward." Liu Huang's voice lowered a bit. "But now, as the world's energy begins to become chaotic, that seal is also beginning to loosen."

"The Crowned Demon Emperor?" Li Yuan frowned slightly. "I've never heard of this name before."

"It's normal that you haven't heard of it." Liu Huang sighed. "That happened more than a hundred years ago. The then-commander of the Demon Suppression Division personally took action and joined forces with the leaders of several major sects to seal the Crowned Demon Emperor under Snow Peak Mountain."

"In that battle, the human race also paid a heavy price, with seven cultivators above the Transformation Realm falling."

He paused, then continued, "The true form of the Crimson Demon Emperor is a venomous snake with a crimson crown on its head and four legs. Its venom is extremely potent."

"During the great war, a single breath of its poisonous mist could kill all living beings within a hundred feet. Countless human cultivators died from its deadly poison."

Ji Fanghua couldn't help but ask, "Since the Demon Emperor was so dangerous, why didn't you just kill him directly instead of going through the trouble of sealing him away?"

"Because it can't be killed." Liu Huang gave a bitter smile. "The Crowned Vermilion Demon Emperor's cultivation has reached the peak of the Demon Emperor realm, and it is only one step away from becoming a Demon Emperor. Moreover, its vitality is extremely tenacious. Even if it is cut into several pieces, it can regenerate."

"Most importantly, killing it would cause the venom to go out of control and pollute the land within a radius of thousands of miles. After weighing the pros and cons, the only option was to seal it."

Li Yuan was silent for a moment, then asked, "Now that the seal has loosened, what arrangements has the General Headquarters made?"

"The General Commander has already dispatched Lord Lou Junbo, the Right Demon Suppressor, to personally oversee this matter," Liu Huang said. "Lord Lou is a peak Transformation Realm expert, only one step away from the Dao Entry Realm. With him in charge, he should be able to keep the situation under control."

"The General Commander's official document instructs you to proceed directly to Snow Peak Mountain after completing your mission at Taixu Academy to assist Lord Lou in completing his mission."

Li Yuan nodded: "Then when do we set off?"

"Let's not delay, we'll set off after a short rest." Liu Huang stood up. "On the way, I'll give you a detailed account of the situation of the Crowned Demon Emperor, as well as the known movements of all parties."

Half an hour later, a group of more than thirty people rode away from Tanzhou City and sped off towards Xuefeng Mountain.

As Liu Huang rode on his horse, he shared more detailed information with the group: "The Crowned Demon Emperor originally had ten demon kings under his command, all of whom were at least at the Transformation Realm. In the battle back then, two of them were killed, and the remaining eight demon kings either fled or scattered."

"But now that the seal has loosened, those old subordinates have received the news and have begun to gather at Xuefeng Mountain. According to current intelligence, four demon kings have already arrived near Xuefeng Mountain, and the remaining four have not yet been found."

"Four demon kings..." Li Yuan pondered, "Adding to the ordinary demons who have been summoned, the demon forces on the Snow Peak Mountain side are probably not to be underestimated."

"That's right." Liu Huang nodded. "That's why Lord Lou personally took action. Moreover, the Commander-in-Chief has also mobilized a group of elite troops from several nearby prefectures, who are expected to arrive in the next couple of days."

He took out some small cloth bags from his bosom and distributed them to everyone: "These are specially made antidote pills, a prescription prepared by an old master of the Imperial Medical Academy. They can effectively resist the poisonous fog of the Crowned Demon Emperor."

"However, you must remember that this poison-avoiding pill can only resist toxins in the air. If you are directly attacked by the Crowned Vermilion Demon King, there is still a risk of poisoning. So be careful during the battle and try not to be hurt by its venom or fangs."

Li Yuan took the antidote pill, poured out one and swallowed it. He felt a cool sensation rise from his dantian, flowing along his meridians to his limbs and bones, and he felt much more energetic.

He carefully put the remaining pills away from his body, then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Liu Huang: "Thank you, Lord Liu."

"No need to be so polite." Liu Huang waved his hand. "We are all working for the imperial court, so we should look out for each other."

The sound of horses' hooves was rapid as the group galloped along the official road toward Xuefeng Mountain.

Li Yuan, though riding on horseback, was not as calm as he appeared on the surface.

The world's energy is in chaos, and demons from all over the land are stirring up trouble. The war in the northwest has not yet subsided, and now the seal on the Demon Emperor has been loosened in the south.

Thinking of the prophecy about the sacred object, my heart felt heavy. It all felt like an invisible net, slowly tightening.

The future of humanity is bleak.

At this moment, in the forbidden secret chamber behind Taixu Academy.

Leng Ningshuang sat cross-legged in the center of the secret room, with the yellowed scroll of the Creation and Universe Technique spread out in front of her.

The walls of the secret chamber were engraved with runes that prevented spiritual probes from entering, ensuring that she would not be disturbed during her cultivation.

She's been sitting here all day.

Since returning from the secret realm, she used the excuse of gaining some insights and needing to go into seclusion to enter the academy's forbidden area. No one knew that her true purpose was to cultivate the technique she obtained from the Chen Su Demon Emperor.

She stretched out her slender fingers and gently stroked the ancient characters on the scroll. They were seal script from ancient times, with complex strokes and obscure meanings. Fortunately, she had studied it before, so although it was a bit difficult to read, she could still understand the general meaning.

But the more I looked at her, the paler her face became.

This "Creation of Heaven and Earth Technique" is indeed an extremely profound technique, and the principles it contains far surpass any technique she has ever encountered before.

However, it is also full of risks, because it is, after all, an incomplete scroll with many missing parts. If one is not careful when practicing according to the methods in the incomplete scroll, one may suffer from qi deviation, which may result in severed meridians or even death on the spot.

Leng Ningshuang's fingers tightened slightly as she held the book.

She thought of her hidden talent. The reason she chose to reveal the ice element to the world was because this talent was too astonishing. Once exposed, it would probably bring endless trouble.

This Creation and Transformation Technique was exactly what she had been dreaming of—a technique that could truly unleash her potential.

She gritted her teeth, a resolute glint in her eyes.

"Fortune favors the bold. Now that fate has presented this martial arts manual to me, if I shrink back out of fear of risk, how can I claim to control my own destiny?"

She took a deep breath, memorized the first incantation in the book, then closed her eyes and began to circulate the spiritual energy within her body according to the incantation.

In the secret room, a strange aura permeated the air. Her body trembled slightly, and her face was sometimes as pale as paper and sometimes flushed as fire.

Clearly, the process of cultivating this incomplete skill was far more difficult than she had imagined.

But she didn't stop.

As night fell, Li Yuan and his party stopped to rest at a post station beside the official road.

The inn was small, with only a few simple guest rooms and a hall for travelers to rest and have tea.