In the northern reaches of the Burning Heaven Continent, the sky was dim and shrouded in darkness, thicker than ink—as though a pot of black dye had spilled across heaven and earth. The air was filled with an oppressive, gloomy aura, and even the surrounding Spiritual Energy no longer flowed as lively as before.
"This power is truly wicked. Even my Spiritual Energy feels restless here, as if it despises this place."
Standing suspended in midair at the border battlefield, Liu Xi gazed at the corrupted landscape before him.
Mo Feng's expression was grave; his eyes gleamed with a killing intent like that of a general about to enter war. "Indeed. The Extraterritorial Fiends have never stopped trying to invade the Great Thousand World. Whenever they gather enough strength, they unleash a demonic calamity, devouring our lands little by little."
He pointed ahead to the black, twisted world beyond the ridgeline, his voice filled with grief and fury. "All that once belonged to us. Even when we drive the Fiends back, the lands they pollute with evil energy lose all vitality. Over time, more and more of our world has fallen to their corruption."
Liu Xi remained silent. He had only been in the Great Thousand World for two years—unlike Mo Feng, who had fought through countless such calamities. Yet, the Fiend Clans' methods alone were enough to fill him with disgust.
Realizing he had spoken too much, Mo Feng took a deep breath and said calmly, "Forgive my emotions, young friend. Let's go to the encampment first—I'll introduce you to a few comrades."
"Alright." Liu Xi nodded. Ahead, he could already sense numerous strong auras gathered among the mountains. The weakest were comparable to 3rd Grade Sovereigns, while many others radiated power above the Earth Sovereign Realm.
He even sensed one Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereign and three Spiritual Grade Heavenly Sovereigns—with Mo Feng, that made four. Such a lineup was indeed worthy of the Great Thousand Palace's name.
Guided by Mo Feng, Liu Xi descended to the ground, his gaze immediately catching a vast Spiritual Array pulsing with immense energy. The surrounding evil aura was pushed away by the rippling Spiritual fluctuations.
However, to Liu Xi's refined perception, the array's energy wasn't particularly strong.
Mo Feng noticed his subtle reaction and smiled proudly. "Grandmaster-level Array Masters are exceedingly rare in the Great Thousand World. This array was crafted by several high-tier Array Masters—it's the Great Thousand Palace's exclusive Demon Slaying Array, combining detection, purification, and warding functions all in one."
Hearing the pride in Mo Feng's tone, Liu Xi politely praised, "Impressive. The Spiritual fluctuations already surpass an ordinary high-tier array, nearly approaching the realm of a Grandmaster."
Following Mo Feng's lead, Liu Xi entered the temporary camp. Immediately, a wave of Spiritual Energy swept across them before dispersing—it was clearly the array's detection mechanism.
Several scout squads emerged, only to withdraw respectfully after recognizing Mo Feng. Many of their curious gazes lingered on Liu Xi.
"This way, please," Mo Feng said warmly.
Liu Xi nodded. Within this heavily fortified camp, Mo Feng's authority was evident—he moved freely without hindrance.
Before long, they arrived before an enormous structure. Though its design was grand, its construction bore traces of rough shaping—likely molded directly by a Heavenly Sovereign manipulating the earth's essence.
Inside the hall stood a magnificent Spiritual projection—three golden-purple characters inscribed upon it: Demon Slaying Ranking. A sharp, domineering aura radiated from the glowing surface.
Mo Feng gestured toward it with a smile. "This Demon Slaying Ranking is linked to every Demon Slayer Token. All recorded Demon Slayer Points are displayed here—the higher the points, the higher the rank and the greater the prestige among Demon Slayers."
Liu Xi studied the ranking. He didn't see the title "Demon Slayer King Qin Tian," but there was a High-Rank Demon Slayer Master Qin Tian, listed first. Evidently, Qin Tian had yet to reach the Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereign Realm at this time.
Mo Feng's voice carried admiration as he continued, "The man at the top—Qin Tian—is a true legend of our Great Thousand Palace. A century ago, during a major Demon Slaying campaign, nearly all his comrades perished. He returned alone. Many thought he would collapse in despair, but instead, he shocked the world—he devoted himself to eradicating the Fiend Clans, and within a hundred years, broke through to the Heavenly Sovereign Realm."
As Mo Feng spoke, reverence filled his tone. To the Great Thousand Palace, every warrior who fought the Fiends was a hero, and Qin Tian's deeds were nothing short of inspiring.
"Now, Qin Tian has already reached the Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereign Realm, just like you, sir. He is leading this current Demon Slaying operation—and he's the one closest to becoming the next Demon Slayer King."
"Oh?" Liu Xi's eyes brightened with surprise. "Such a hero—I must meet him."
He knew that centuries later, Qin Tian would become a legend—the Demon Slayer King, renowned across the Great Thousand Worlds. And if history served, it was during one of these campaigns that Qin Tian would fall into the Abyss Domain, face the schemes of the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor, and rise again as a true sovereign of demon slayers.
Could it be this very campaign?
Mo Feng's eyes gleamed with anticipation, clearly curious about what would happen when two figures of such power—Liu Xi and Qin Tian—met face to face.
"Come," Mo Feng said, voice lively. "I'll take you to him right away."
They crossed the hall, passing a counter where a gray-robed elder sat quietly. To ordinary eyes, he might look like an attendant—but Liu Xi sensed a vast spiritual fluctuation from him. This man was a genuine Spiritual Grade Heavenly Sovereign.
"Old Zhao," Mo Feng called casually, "this is Master Qing Lian. I'll take him to meet Elder Qin Tian."
The old man lifted his gaze and nodded. "Go ahead—they're on the second floor." His eyes lingered on Liu Xi, filled with curiosity and mild astonishment.
Though Liu Xi rarely appeared in public, his reputation had spread far and wide—defeating five great Heavenly Sovereigns on the Skylaw Continent, suppressing the Fire Spirit Ancestor, and, most notably, being the Alchemist Grandmaster who had once refined a Divine Pill capable of helping one break through to the Heavenly Sovereign Realm.
Under that inquisitive gaze, Liu Xi merely smiled politely before following Mo Feng upstairs.
The moment his foot touched the staircase, the air around him shifted—the space warped slightly. Liu Xi's eyes flickered in surprise.
"This… is another world," he murmured.
Indeed, the second floor was not a room at all—but an independent dimension, opened within the tower by an expert's mastery over space.
(End of Chapter)
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