Pain—too excruciating!
Jing Yanxin’s colossal form, even stretched over a thousand zhang, stood before Ye Yu’s Tianyao Mieshi Jue (Heavenly Demon World-Destruction Technique) like a mere insect. No matter how he struggled, it was utterly futile.
He could only watch, helpless, as Ye Yu twisted his body into a giant, writhing hemp-rope coil.
Under the pinnacle of agony, Jing Yanxin writhed in torment, desperately begging for mercy—though it was far too late for that.
Moments later, with a single thunderous punch from Ye Yu, Jing Yanxin finally fell, his death delivering a cruel release.
Yet his soul tried to flee, only to be snatched back by Ye Yu’s swift fingers probing the void.
Ye Yu summoned all of Jing Yanxin’s memories with a light tap of his fingertip. In mere breaths, he had devoured every secret, then clenched his fist and shattered the dying man’s soul to dust.
“What a shameless dog of a fiend!” Ye Yu spat inwardly. Jing Yanxin had no clue where Nangong Jingtang vanished to—he only sought to force the Ring of Life from her by any means.
Pathetic liar. His death was too fitting.
Still, Jing Yanxin’s memories weren’t without value. He learned of a place in the Demon Realm called the Sanctuary, said to be formed by a league of supreme monsters. Offer them what they desired, and they would divulge any information—though at an exorbitant price.
In Jing Yanxin’s recollection, it was by exchanging a mid-grade Demon-Immortal artifact with the Sanctuary that he learned of Ye Ji Zui’s demise. If the Sanctuary’s powers were so vast, perhaps they ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) could reveal Nangong Jingtang’s whereabouts too.
But what could he offer in trade? Ye Yu paused to ponder, then eyed the remains of Jing Yanxin’s broken demonic corpse.
Two days later, at the far north of the Demon Realm—where ice and snow reigned eternal—Ye Yu arrived at the towering gates of the Sanctuary. Though he had ventured into the Demon Realm before, he had never heard of this place. A new power, born after the Great Demon King’s awakening?
He did not linger on such thoughts. In a deep voice he called out, “Sanctuary Demon-Immortal, present yourselves! I seek to purchase information.”
As soon as his words faded, a figure draped in a shadowy black robe emerged. The robe—undoubtedly a high-grade Demon-Immortal artifact—shrouded his presence, blocking any prying spirit-sense and rendering his features indistinct.
A hoarse voice followed. “Fresh face, eh? Do you even know the Sanctuary’s rules?”
“I do,” Ye Yu replied, “but you may wish to see my price first.” With a casual wave, he summoned the severed tail of Jing Yanxin’s sword-tail centipede onto the frozen ground. Even in death, its chilling sword-aura was palpable.
“The sword-tail centipede of Demon King Realm,” the black-robed figure murmured after inspection, “is indeed a treasure. But...why does its tail look so...odd?”
Ye Yu felt a flash of embarrassment. Could it look any different? He had twisted Jing Yanxin’s body into a coil—tail included—before hastily straightening it out again. The creases remained.
He forged on, undeterred. “A Demon King Realm cultivator’s sword tail must bear countless battle scars. You see faults; I see the marks of triumph!”
True enough, after a moment’s thought the robed demon nodded in agreement. “You have a point. This is exceptional. Speak your request.”
Ye Yu’s heart leapt. In a steady voice he declared, “I want to know Nangong Jingtang’s whereabouts.”
“Wait here.” With that, the figure vanished into the swirling snow, leaving Ye Yu alone.
After the incense of a single stick burned away, the black-robed demon reappeared and accepted the sword tail without a word.
“Nangong Jingtang of the Peacock Clan in Lunyao City is currently within the territory of the Manniu Clan in Wing Demon City. You may depart for her now.”
Ye Yu’s eyes widened. Why would Nangong Jingtang go to the Manniu Clan’s domain? Though puzzled, he bowed and left at once—sure the Sanctuary had no reason to deceive him. If they lied, he could always return to set them straight.
Not far off, a towering tiger demon appeared beside the black-robed guardian.
“Serpent-Eye,” he growled, “you’re cunning, but even so, why let him go? That sword-tail centipede should fetch us a fortune. We’re about to hunt Nangong Jingtang—why send him to his death?”
From beneath the robe, a snake-like pupil glinted. With a swing of his sleeve, gusts of cold wind roared.
“Little Tiger, mind your own affairs. Cunning? I know not the meaning. He asked for information; I gave it. Whether he lives or dies is no concern of mine. Must I babysit him forever for a bit of centipede tail?”
The tiger demon said no more, displeased, and turned away. Serpent-Eye stared into the distance. “Don’t say I never looked out for you. When we surround Nangong Jingtang, if he’s there, kill him first. He must be carrying something precious—how else could he have beheaded that centipede cross-border?”
Meanwhile, in the Manniu Clan’s territory of Wing Demon City, the Grand Protector Niu Li knelt bloodied before a lone figure hovering in midair—a stunning woman with a bone-chilling presence. It was none other than the long-missing Nangong Jingtang.
“I sense his aura here. Bring him to me—or all of you will die!” her cold, piercing voice thundered through every member of the Manniu Clan.
