Starting as a stray dog, I embarked on a journey of cultivation.

The atmosphere became increasingly tense, and it looked like the two sides were about to fight.

suddenly!

A sharp, piercing sound rang out.

The flock of strange birds behind Gou An was instantly cut in two.

They didn't even have a chance to scream before they all fell to their deaths.

The black-robed man opposite Gou An was completely dumbfounded, thinking it was Gou An's technique.

Gou An was also confused, as he hadn't done anything yet!

Just as everyone was still trying to figure out what was going on, a figure suddenly descended from the sky and landed at the mouth of the valley.

"Wow, it's quite lively here!"

The newcomer was young, dressed in a white robe, and looked to be in his early twenties. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a slightly arrogant air about him.

Upon seeing this person, Gou An immediately retreated to the side to avoid being attacked from both sides.

Upon seeing the suddenly appearing man, the man in black robes showed a look of terror on his face, completely losing the posture he had shown when he wanted to fight Gou An.

The man then slowly walked in, followed by a silver-white longsword floating in mid-air. His aura was fully unleashed, clearly indicating that he was at the peak of the Golden Core stage.

The man turned to look at Gou An, a knowing smile on his face, and said, "Fellow Daoist, I can't let you have this person!"

Gou An did not conceal any demonic aura in this matter. Judging from his cultivation level, he definitely knew that he was a demon.

Not knowing the man's identity or intentions, he could only politely ask, "What do you mean by that?"

"I am Ye Qingyang, the Guardian of the Mysterious Guard!" The man seemed afraid that Gou An would not understand, so he added a sentence: "The Guardian of the Mysterious Guard is an organization jointly established by thirty-six righteous alliances, specifically targeting evil cultivators and demons causing trouble."

"I have been tracking this person for some time, and only today did I find his trail. I did not expect that you, fellow Daoist, would beat me to it."

Gou An gave an awkward smile. What a coincidence! He had encountered both an evil cultivator and a demon here.

I really shouldn't have come here; I've run into the last person I wanted to see.

Do not!

This is an organization!

Ye Qingyang turned his gaze back to the man in black robes and began to recount his crimes: "Shi Gang, formerly known as Daoist Changxin, was an outer elder of the Wenyun Sect. He stole a secret treasure from the sect and fled. Since then, he has lived in hiding for many years under an assumed name."

"Two years ago, he reappeared, calling himself Black Feather Taoist, with a completely different appearance!"

"Over two years, he traveled to many places, swindling and deceiving, harming young children, practicing demonic arts, and raising monsters. His crimes are unforgivable!"

Seeing that all his detailed information had been revealed, the man in black robes became increasingly flustered. He unconsciously took a step back and said, "You've mistaken me for someone else. I don't know what you're talking about."

"It doesn't matter if you don't know. Once I capture you and bring you back to the Wenyun Sect, we'll know whether it's true or false!"

Ye Qingyang smiled slightly, pointed his finger forward, and the flying sword floating behind him immediately aimed its tip at him.

Seeing the flying sword poised to strike, the man in black knew he couldn't escape. He roared, "Trying to catch me? Not so easy!"

He suddenly roared, and the spiritual energy around him turned into a dense black color. His wide black robe was lifted up, and a pair of huge black wings suddenly grew from his back.

At the same time, Black Feather Taoist's eyes turned blood red, and his hands became like bird claws, making him look even more like a monster than Gou An. Meanwhile, the demonic energy around him transformed into a whirlwind and scattered in all directions.

Gou An was shocked. This guy was actually a monster too?

The next second, the black-feathered Taoist flapped his wings, gathering a large number of black feathers ready to be released, and aimed them at Ye Qingyang like flying knives.

"What do you think I've been doing all these years I've been gone?" Black Feather Daoist's face was contorted with rage and utter madness. "I have now cultivated an unparalleled demonic body, and my strength is far beyond what it once was..."

Whoosh!

Before Black Feather Taoist could finish speaking, Ye Qingyang's sword had already transformed into a streak of silver light and shot out!

The speed was astonishing, piercing straight through Black Feather Taoist's chest!

"Uh..." Black Feather Daoist's eyes widened in disbelief.

He glanced down at the wound on his chest, his aura began to weaken rapidly, and his demonic energy dissipated. Finally, he knelt weakly on the ground, transforming back into a gaunt old man.

Gou An was utterly alarmed!

Just now, when that old man transformed into a demonic aura and surged, his cultivation level and strength reached the Golden Core stage.

I never expected to be killed in one hit like that?

"Why don't you be a decent person and instead try to cultivate some kind of demonic body!" Ye Qingyang walked up, reaching into his robes to pull out a silver rope, which he then tossed aside.

The rope flew out and bound Black Feather Taoist tightly.

"You don't understand anything!" Black Feather Taoist's voice became unusually weak.

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyang sneered, "All I know is that demons cultivate towards human form, and the more human-like they are, the better they are cultivating. But this is the first time I've seen a human cultivating towards the path of a demon."

But Black Feather Daoist remained defiant: "For people like us with mediocre talent, how can we have an easier path than you geniuses? We don't have many opportunities left for us. Even if we become demons, we have no choice but to continue on this path."

Ye Qingyang looked down at him and said calmly, "I didn't say you can't choose this path, but if you choose this evil path, you should be prepared to be captured today."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a cloth bag suddenly appeared in Ye Qingyang's hand.

He opened the door to the Black Feather Taoist and sucked him in directly.

After doing all this, Ye Qingyang slowly turned his head and looked at Gou An.

Gou An gripped the divine iron hammer tightly. After charging up his strength, the divine iron hammer was now extremely powerful.

It's so powerful that it could smash the physical body of a Golden Core demon like Crimson Flame Mountain Lord with a single blow, just like last time.

The white-robed swordsman Ye Qingyang before them was also a Golden Core cultivator, with strength comparable to that of the Crimson Flame Mountain Lord.

Even if its direct combat power is stronger than that of the Crimson Flame Mountain Lord, its physical defense will definitely be slightly inferior.

With the seven layers of protective magic treasures on his body, even if Gou An was a realm lower, he would still have a 70% chance of winning in a real fight.

To Gou An's surprise, Ye Qingyang did not attack him. Instead, he flicked his finger and put the flying sword back into his sleeve.

"Fellow Daoist, may I ask which child you were entrusted to save?" Ye Qingyang said with a smile, "You take that one away, and I'll take care of sending the rest back one by one."

"Uh-huh!" Gou An was already prepared to fight, but he didn't expect that Ye Qingyang was not going to make a move against him.

Or perhaps he didn't realize he was a monster?

Gou An touched his ears and found they were pointed; he hadn't deliberately disguised himself to hide them.

Seeing Gou An's confusion, Ye Qingyang took the initiative to explain: "Don't worry, although I am a member of the Zhixuan Guard, I also have my own bottom line in doing things."

"Although you are a demon, you have not done anything wrong. You have even been helping people find their lost children."

At this point, Ye Qingyang smiled and continued, "What I look at is never the identity of a human or a demon, but the distinction between good and evil."

Hearing what he said, Gou An's wariness lessened somewhat.

"If everyone in the world were a cultivator like you, we demon cultivators wouldn't have to hide and eke out a living!" Gou An smiled slightly.

"I believe that day will come!" Ye Qingyang took a step back, making way for the cage where the child was being held.

But just then, Gou An suddenly remembered something and turned to Ye Qingyang beside him, saying, "Wait, one is missing!"

"One of the children is missing?" Ye Qingyang frowned.

"No!" Gou An suddenly looked towards the spot where Qingfeng Daoist had just been hiding, but it was now empty. "The disciple of Heiyu Daoist is gone!"

Only after Gou An reminded him did Ye Qingyang suddenly remember.

Everyone's attention was focused on Black Feather Daoist, and no one noticed when he disappeared.

"It's alright!" Ye Qingyang slapped his forehead and said, "I'll go find him after I send all these children back."

"Alright!" Gou An walked to the cage, sniffed around for a while, and then took a five or six-year-old boy out of the cage.

The little boy's face was streaked with tears, and he looked aggrieved. He dared not cry or move, as if he had been summoned by a monster and had been scared out of his wits.

"Stone, right? I'll take you home to find your mother!" Gou An gently patted the boy's head.

Upon hearing that he could go home, the little boy nodded quickly.

Just as Gou An was about to leave the valley with the little boy in his arms, Ye Qingyang suddenly called out from behind, "Fellow Daoist, wait!"

Gou An stopped and turned to look at him: "Is there anything else?"

Ye Qingyang smiled slightly and said, "Fellow Daoist, although I only distinguish between good and evil, the other Xuan Guards may not be so."

"Let's head back to the Monster Mountain Range as soon as possible. Things are not peaceful in the world lately, and the entire Zhixuan Guard has been mobilized."

"It is best to travel on foot. There are patrols in the sky. If others discover the traces of a transformed great demon, it will surely attract pursuit and killing."

Hearing his words, Gou An nodded: "Thank you for the reminder!"

After taking two steps forward, Gou An suddenly stopped, then turned around and asked, "You're not going to notify others to arrest me after I leave, are you?"

"Hahaha!" Ye Qingyang laughed heartily after hearing this. "How can you think of me like that, fellow Daoist? If I really had such intentions, I would have simply waited for you two to start fighting first, and then come out to clean up the mess after you were both severely injured, wouldn't that have been enough?"

"Indeed!" Gou An smiled at Ye Qingyang and then said, "May I ask what your Daoist name is? If we meet again someday, I'll definitely treat you to a drink."

"I haven't yet grasped my own Dao, therefore I haven't chosen a Daoist name!" Ye Qingyang replied with a smile, "Just remember my name!"

"Alright!" Gou An nodded, then said, "My name is Gou An, my Daoist name is Dog Master. See you again if fate allows."

After saying this, Gou An stopped lingering, picked up the little boy, and took off into the air, flying low towards the town.

Watching Gou An's departing figure, Ye Qingyang smiled gently.

"Gou An? That's an interesting name!"