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

Gou An took a deep breath and stepped into the portal to that space.

As soon as I took that step, the scenery around me suddenly changed.

A gentle, warm breeze caressed my face; the sky was clear and blue, with white clouds drifting lazily across the horizon.

The surrounding area is covered with layered mountains and lush vegetation.

Before them lay a flat meadow, with a clear stream meandering along its edge.

The stream water crashed against the pebbles, making a tinkling sound.

At a glance, countless unnamed spiritual flowers bloomed quietly, and a faint fragrance of grass and trees filled the air, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

In this environment, Gou An's originally tense heart relaxed a lot.

He instinctively turned around to look.

Where was the Demon King's Palace behind him? There were no thick stone walls, no chair where the old fox sat. The City of Ten Thousand Demons and the Demon Beast Mountain Range had vanished without a trace.

In the vast expanse of heaven and earth, only that hazy spatial gate stood silently in place.

Gou An felt a slight chill, suppressed his amazement, and slowly turned his head.

A sturdy ancient tree stands on the grassy bank of the stream, its canopy like a giant umbrella, casting deep shadows across the river.

Two figures were sitting by the stone table under the tree.

The figure was tall and imposing, clad in a dark gold royal robe, with an aura as heavy as a mountain; it was none other than the Demon King of Ten Thousand Demon City.

Another person sat beside the Demon King, dressed in a purple robe, quietly with his eyes lowered, his full appearance obscured.

Gou An took a deep breath and stepped forward.

As they got closer, they could see that a young and beautiful woman with long, flowing hair was sitting next to the Demon King, pouring him tea.

The Demon King, with a special spirit cigarette made by Gou An dangling from his mouth, calmly watched the woman's every move, his eyes filled with tenderness.

"Little demon Gou Zhenren greets the Demon King!" Gou An didn't get too close, but simply bowed from a distance.

Upon hearing the voice, the Demon King slowly turned his head. When he saw Gou An, he beckoned, "Young friend, come and sit down!"

Gou An dared not refuse, so he quickly stepped forward and sat down on the side.

"Yun Yao, pour tea for your young friend!" the Demon King then said.

"Yes!" The woman in purple nodded gently and poured a cup of hot tea for Gou An.

This seemingly simple action startled Gou An.

Yunyao?

This! Isn't this the female demon that Shen Yu, the young master of the Blackwater Domain, asked me to find?

So you found it yourself?

Thinking of this, Gou An looked up and carefully glanced at the woman named Yun Yao.

Sure enough, there was a barely noticeable black mole near the corner of her eye.

With just one glance, Gou An averted his gaze.

"I summoned you here today mainly to reward you!" The Demon King took the spirit cigarette out of his mouth, leaving only the cigarette butt.

With a flick of his fingertip, the demon king caused the cigarette butt to turn to ashes and vanish without a trace.

"It is already an honor for me to serve the Demon King, how dare I ask for any more rewards!" Gou An smiled awkwardly.

"In my City of Ten Thousand Demons, merit must be rewarded!" The Demon King shook his head and said, "If merit is not rewarded, how can other demons be expected to work diligently in the future?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Gou An quickly bowed.

Facing a Nascent Soul stage demon king at such close range amplified Gou An's nervousness.

Only now do I understand the old saying: serving a ruler is like serving a tiger.

"If it weren't for the pills you refined, Yun Yao wouldn't have recovered so quickly!" As he said this, the Desolate Demon King reached out and touched the purple-clad woman's smooth hand, showing his affection.

"Is it that incomplete ancient elixir formula?" Gou An asked curiously.

"And there's that Soul-Stabilizing Pill from the Alchemy Conference!" The Demon King smiled and continued, "Before you came, Cangxuan and the three major alchemy halls had also refined the Myriad Origin Soul-Stabilizing Pill, but its effects were all very average. It could only make Yun Yao's injuries less severe, but it couldn't restore her health."

"This is the first time your Soul-Stabilizing Pill has had a healing effect since the Alchemy Conference."

"In addition, you restored the incomplete ancient pill a few days ago. With the help of the two pills, Yun Yao was able to recover."

At this point, the Desolate Demon King's gaze fell on Gou An again, and he said, "Speak, what reward do you want? As long as it's reasonable, I can agree to it."

Gou An swallowed hard, recalling the old fox's words of warning.

So he said, "That incomplete ancient pill was not actually refined by me alone. It was thanks to the help of Protector Cangxuan that it was difficult to refine. I really dare not take all the credit."

"Hahahaha!" Upon hearing this, the Desolate Demon King burst into laughter: "That old fox?"

Before Gou An could explain, the Desolate Demon King continued, "I've given him that incomplete ancient pill for thirty years, and he hasn't refined a single useful pill. What can he do to help you?"

"The prescription, the cooking time, and the protection of the state all received guidance!" Gou An quickly replied.

"Was it that old fox who made you say that?" the Desolate Demon King asked with a smile.

"Uh, this!" Gou An was speechless for a moment.

"Don't be afraid!" The Desolate Demon King laughed, "That old thing told me before that he refined the pill, but under my interrogation, he finally admitted that you were involved."

"Although I live a secluded life, I'm not stupid. How could he possibly refine such a high-quality pill?"

"Speaking of which, I was the one who forced that old fox to learn alchemy over ten years."

"His alchemy skills are merely adequate, certainly not outstanding. Otherwise, why would I have allowed the establishment of the three major alchemy halls in the first place? Why would I have needed to attract people to cultivate alchemy?"

"Huguo did indeed impart some experience to me!" Gou An thought for a moment and then replied.

"Consider it a matter of him passing on his experience!" The Desolate Demon King didn't dwell on the matter and continued, "However, for you, it's still a tremendous achievement. Tell me, what reward do you want?"

"I..." Gou An opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.

Spirit Stone?

I have 30 million in my pocket, which is enough for me.

status?

It's definitely not acceptable to directly ask to be the protector of the country.

Beauty?

No matter how beautiful, can it compare to the beauty of the red moon?

Gongfa?

I have it myself, but I haven't had time to study it carefully.

Seeing Gou An hesitate, the Desolate Demon King did not urge him, but simply said, "Don't rush, think about it slowly."

As he said this, he glanced around and added, "Time flows much slower here in Wuheng Green Space than outside. Even if you think about it for ten days or half a month, only one or two hours will have passed outside."

Upon hearing this, Gou An's heart stirred.

So, does this mean I'm currently in another small world, similar to the Palm Heaven Diagram?

"Besides rewarding you, there's another thing I need you to try!" the Desolate Demon King added.

"What is it?" Gou An asked curiously.

"Although Yun Yao's soul has stabilized after consuming the pills you refined, she still suffers from headaches!"

At this point, a hint of heartache appeared in the Demon King's eyes: "These are also symptoms of a damaged soul. Every time the pain strikes, it feels like the soul is being torn apart again, causing unbearable agony."

"If you can cure her of this ailment, then the City of Ten Thousand Demons will become one of the Eight Great Protectors."