Witch, don't do anything reckless!

Outside the city, Liu Xu and Xu Jinghong landed one after the other at the end of the path behind the forest. Liu Xu held a sword in one hand and a spirit mirror in her hand, vigilantly observing the surrounding movements.

The mirror surface was smooth and calm, and everything remained normal wherever it was swept, without any signs of demonic energy.

"They think they can let him get away?!"

Behind him came Xu Jinghong's somewhat puzzled voice. He looked around, but there was no trace of the demon.

The two chased after it for a long time, but the monster managed to escape?

Wow, that's some speed!

"He can't escape."

Liu Xu's eyes were icy cold. She activated the Spirit Mirror in her hand, and specks of cold light gathered and spread outwards from the mirror.

Not long ago, unrest broke out in the city. Not only were there demonic creatures appearing at the city gates, but the city was also filled with a demonic aura. Liu Xu rushed there immediately and found signs of a battle between demons when she arrived.

Judging from the remaining demonic energy at the scene, the demon was quite powerful, most likely a great demon who had already entered the middle three realms!

Are the great demons fighting in the city?

Is it internal strife, or is there some other reason?

Regardless of the outcome, it meant there were at least two powerful demons in the city. Using her spiritual sense mirror, Liu Xu quickly located the trail of one of the powerful demons by following the demonic aura at the scene... The demon seemed to be injured and hadn't had time to hide before Liu Xu forced it out.

Seemingly aware that it was no match for Liu Xu, in desperation, the demon risked being severely injured to escape from Liu Xu's grasp and fled out of the city.

Liu Xu and Xu Jinghong gave chase, but the demon, though of average strength, was incredibly fast at escaping. The two pursued it all the way here, but the demonic energy in their spiritual mirror gradually dissipated, and they lost track of the demon.

"He was seriously injured and won't be able to cause any trouble in the short term."

Seeing that Liu Xu still wanted to continue investigating, Xu Jinghong shook his head: "We can't pursue it any further, be careful it might be a trap."

But Liu Xu clearly had no intention of letting him go: "Since he's seriously injured, this is the perfect time to capture him!"

"Isn't that unnecessary..."

Xu Jinghong wanted to dissuade her, but Liu Xuqing's cold face turned icy as she insisted, "This demon's cultivation level is not low. His hiding in the city is probably related to the death of Prince Jing's son, the demoness that night, and the demons that have appeared in Liangzhou in the past few months."

"The demon race must be plotting something..."

Liu Xu's tone was certain.

The demon race is not a monolithic entity. While the imperial court has been trying to exterminate the demon race over the years, the demon race itself has been engaged in fierce internal strife.

The more this is the case, the more advantageous it is for Tianxuan Division. Taking advantage of the infighting among the demon race is a perfect opportunity to uncover their conspiracy.

Upon hearing this, Xu Jinghong sighed inwardly.

He knew exactly what Liu Xu was up to; she had been investigating the appearance of numerous demonic creatures in Liangzhou for months. Knowing her stubborn nature, Xu Jinghong was certain she wouldn't give up and would continue her investigation.

This direct descendant of the Celestial Master's Mansion indeed has ideals, pursuits, and his own pride.

Otherwise, why would she give up her comfortable life as a young lady in the capital and insist on coming to Yuhua City, a place of trouble?

Ultimately, they were too young and too naive!

Xu Jinghong shook his head inwardly; he wasn't interested in any of that.

Behind Liu Xu stood the Celestial Master's Mansion and the head of the Heavenly Profound Division. Even if she caused a major disaster, someone would bail her out, but he was different.

A discarded son of his family has no desire to get involved in the demon clan's conspiracy or the grudges with the imperial court.

He just wanted to live a peaceful life here.

"It's hard to say. The monster has vanished without a trace. Where are we supposed to look for it?"

Xu Jinghong spoke up, "The city is still in chaos. The demons have caused a lot of trouble and injured many civilians. Besides, there are other powerful demons in the city. Since neither of us is here, if something goes wrong, it might be difficult to handle..."

The implication was that there was still some concern that this might be a ploy by these demons to lure the tiger away from the mountain.

Liu Xu pondered for a moment: "Go back first and inform Commander Xu to take command in the city and mobilize manpower to investigate the whereabouts of the great demon in the city."

"And what about you?"

"This demon must not be let go either."

Liu Xu's gaze was cold and resolute, clearly determined to wipe out all these demons in one fell swoop.

Xu Jinghong was initially somewhat worried, but then he thought of this direct disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion, whose martial arts level was superior to his own, and who possessed numerous sacred artifacts and magical treasures. Unless they encountered a top-tier demon, he could escape even if he couldn't defeat it, and his life wouldn't be in danger.

He couldn't really be of much help here, so he might as well go back and deal with the monsters in the city.

"That's fine. Be careful, and let me know immediately if anything happens."

After discussing the next steps with Liu Xu, Xu Jinghong returned to the city first, leaving Liu Xu to continue searching for the whereabouts of the monster.

She strode along the path, her dark, form-fitting dress highlighting her crisp and efficient demeanor. The dress accentuated her already tall and slender figure, and her cinched waist and long legs beneath it were a sight to behold.

She held a sword in one hand and a spiritual sense mirror in the other, carefully and diligently searching for traces of demonic energy.

At the same time, Li Chuqiu, who had quietly followed, witnessed this scene. He neither revealed himself nor got too close. The one that could command such caution from Deputy Commander Liu was most likely a powerful demon of the middle three realms.

Therefore, he secretly followed behind this Deputy Commander Liu, admiring her graceful figure while planning to seize the opportunity to take advantage of the situation... This was not the first time he had done this.

Although Li Chuqiu could not cultivate, he was most adept at stalking others from behind. His favorite thing to do was to quietly reap the benefits while the two sides were fighting.

It must be said that such actions are very risky, and if one is not careful, one will fall into a dangerous situation of being attacked from both sides.

But at the same time, the benefits were also extremely rich. Those great demons that Li Chuqiu could not deal with had rich spiritual power in their bodies, which was the most nourishing.

The treasures plundered from them were far beyond what those newly transformed demons with low cultivation levels could compare to.

As the old saying goes... fortune favors the bold!

Li Chuqiu gripped the sword at his waist, crouched low, and followed Liu Xu at a distance.

He didn't get too close, lest he be discovered by this Deputy Commander Liu. Maintaining a safe distance, he followed Liu Xu from afar, watching her investigate the demonic aura and follow a path to a small mountain village.

The small mountain village wasn't large, with a dozen or so households scattered around at the foot of the mountain. Liu Xu searched for a moment not far from the village entrance, but instead of entering the village, she took a small path beside the village into the mountains.

The surrounding area was a dense jungle, with towering trees blocking out the sun on both sides. The further you went along the path, the lower the temperature became, and the sweltering air turned refreshing.

Where are we going to trace this woman?

Upon entering this jungle, Li Chuqiu's extensive experience immediately told him that this place was very dangerous.

The surrounding dense jungle and secluded paths provide ambushes and hiding places... This kind of place is perfect for setting traps and ambushes.

Li Chuqiu cautiously surveyed her surroundings, but the direct descendant of the Celestial Master's Mansion seemed utterly fearless, holding the Spirit Sense Mirror and stepping straight in.

If she wasn't afraid, Li Chuqiu naturally wasn't flustered either.

In any case, no matter what happens, this Deputy Commander Liu will take the blame, and Li Chuqiu can leave at any time.

Despite this, Li Chuqiu remained cautious, following at a distance. She saw Liu Xu pass through the depths of the path and arrive at a spot outside the mountains.

This place is between two mountains, with a gap that seems to conceal a hidden paradise.

Liu Xu stood not far from the outside of the mountains, raising her eyes to look ahead, a hint of caution flashing in her cool eyes.

The last traces of demonic energy dissipated in the vicinity.

Liu Xu stared coldly, naturally realizing the danger of this place; the demon seemed to have deliberately lured her here.

After pausing for a moment, his figure suddenly swayed, and the willow catkins disappeared from where he stood.

Before Li Chuqiu could react, the willow catkins had vanished from sight.

Hey, why is that woman running so fast?!

Li Chuqiu took a step forward, about to continue following, when a familiar killing intent suddenly emanated from all around.

The killing intent was extremely swift and sudden, instantly locking onto his location. Li Chuqiu felt a chill run down his spine, his entire body tensing. There was no time to think; instinctively, he rolled to the side.

"boom!"

An explosion rang out, and a large, dark hole was blasted out of the spot where Li Chuqiu had just been standing.

Li Chuqiu suddenly looked up and saw a familiar figure appear in front of her.

"Qin inkstone?!"

Not long ago, Qin Yan, who had been terrified and fainted from Li Chuqiu's knife attack, appeared behind him and stared intently at him.

Why is he here again? Why is he so persistent?

But the next second, Li Chuqiu realized something was wrong.

"You're not Qin Yan?!"

The Qin Yan who appeared before him at this moment had a colder gaze than before, revealing a fierce glint, and his ferocious face gave people an extremely uncomfortable sense of oppression.

Li Chuqiu's gaze locked onto the wisps of black energy emanating from his eyes, and she instantly realized something.

Demon!

The demonic aura emanating from Qin Yan's eyes was gradually turning him into a demon.

It is already a demon.

A thought immediately flashed through Li Chuqiu's mind... Possession!

Qin Yan has been possessed and controlled by a demon?

Possession?

control……

A few days ago, on the day of Prince Jing's wedding, he also encountered a blood demon who had just been possessed in that alley.

At this moment, isn't the demonic aura emanating from Qin Yan exactly similar to that of the Blood Demon?!

It's a Blood Demon?!

As expected, Qin Yan stared at Li Chuqiu, a sinister smile spreading across his face: "Finally found you!"

The hoarse, low voice belonged to the Blood Demon.

"Boy, you destroyed my avatar and remnant soul! Today, I will drain your flesh and blood and turn you into a puppet!"

Where the hell did this blood demon come from?

Li Chuqiu felt like cursing.

Qin Yan was originally a master of the seventh realm, but now his body had been possessed by the Blood Demon. The intensity of the aura emanating from him was far greater than the weakened state he had been in the city a few days ago.

"It's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding..."

Li Chuqiu quietly reached into her robes and pinched a Qi-Gathering Pill, trying to calm the blood demon: "I wasn't the one who destroyed your clone and remnant soul; someone else did. The grievance has its source, the debt its debtor… You should go find the real culprit!"

At this point, you have to betray your boss!

"Don't worry, I will not let that girl go today either!"

The Blood Demon gritted his teeth and sneered. The remnant soul of his clone, which he had painstakingly cultivated again, had just found a suitable body to possess when it was ruined by that girl, causing his plan to fail at the last minute.

"You're not getting away, kid!"

The Blood Demon stared at Li Chuqiu, licked his lips, and a greedy glint appeared in his eyes: "I can feel the pure and vigorous blood energy in your body. You're no ordinary person. Drinking your blood might heal my hidden injuries and restore me to my peak condition."

Li Chuqiu's heart sank suddenly. This old man wanted to absorb his masculine and vigorous blood and energy.

dream!

Knowing that things could not be resolved amicably, Li Chuqiu immediately stuffed the Qi Condensation Pill into her mouth. The pill's energy melted and merged into her internal organs.

Draw the knife!

With her sword drawn, Li Chuqiu's aura shifted. The spiritual energy flowing within her body gathered on the blade, and without the slightest hesitation, she drew her sword and charged towards the Blood Demon like a shooting star.

With the boost of spiritual power, Li Chuqiu's speed reached its limit. In the blink of an eye, she was in front of the Blood Demon, and swiftly and accurately slashed her blade towards his neck.

Just one cut!

That's all!

It's all about speed.

With my spiritual power, I will take this blood demon's dog life!

Li Chuqiu's eyes were filled with a cold, intense killing intent.

"boom!"

The sword fell, and a sharp, explosive sound rang out. A terrifying aura suddenly erupted from the Blood Demon, forcing Li Chuqiu back.

Li Chuqiu staggered back several steps, regaining his balance. His face was slightly pale, and his heart skipped a beat. At this moment, the energy within his body had been dispersed, and most of the spiritual power gathered by the Qi Condensation Pill had dissipated.

This blood demon... is on a completely different level from the one a few days ago?!

A few days ago, Li Chuqiu was barely able to fight him even after taking a Qi-Gathering Pill. But today, the Blood Demon is far stronger than he was a few days ago!

"You mere mortal, yet you dare to presume to use elixirs and external forces to contend with me?"

A hint of mockery flashed in the Blood Demon's eyes. A few days ago, his remnant soul clone was in a weakened state and underestimated this kid, which is why he suffered such a heavy blow.

But the physical strength he possesses today is already considerable, so the power he can unleash is naturally even greater. This boy is merely an ordinary mortal; how could he possibly be his match?

"Prepare to die! Pay for my avatar's life!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Yan instantly closed in on Li Chuqiu.

Qin Yan, a peak seventh-realm cultivator, lacked the talent to unleash his true power. However, now possessed by the Blood Demon, he was able to unleash even greater strength.

"Bang!"

Li Chuqiu channeled the remaining spiritual energy within her body, using her sword to parry the attack from the Blood Demon's chest. However, the moment she made contact with the attack, her spiritual energy instantly dissipated.

The gap in strength is too big!

At this moment, Li Chuqiu felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

Even if his sword is fast and his martial arts experience is rich, he is confident that he can fight against a master who has just entered the middle three realms.

That's all.

If he can't cross the middle three realms, what good is it if he practices swordsmanship his whole life, no matter how fast he is?

He can fight against someone in the sixth realm, but what about the fifth realm? Or the fourth realm?

Moreover, there are those unattainable Upper Three Realms...

When one's strength and skill level are completely outmatched, any technique seems utterly ineffective...

The Blood Demon didn't give Li Chuqiu a chance to reflect. After severely injuring Li Chuqiu with one move, he couldn't wait to get closer, wanting to drain the hot, boiling, and masculine blood from the person in front of him to replenish himself.

Li Chuqiu reached into his robes again and took out two Qi Condensation Pills... He was no match for them, but he wasn't about to wait to die.

We have to give it our all!

Just as he was about to swallow the pill, the surrounding temperature suddenly plummeted.

The next second, a cold light flashed from afar.

In their line of sight, a cold figure swung a sword, causing the Blood Demon's expression to change slightly, and he abruptly retreated.

Li Chuqiu looked up, feeling a huge weight lifted off her shoulders... deeply moved.

...My dear Deputy Commander Liu, you've finally arrived.

……